Synthesis,physico‐chemical and biological study of trialkylsiloxyalkyl amine coated iron oxide/oleic acid magnetic nanoparticles for the treatment of cancer

New original water‐soluble magnetic nanoparticles based on natural components, magnetite–oleic acid–biologically active silyl modified alkanolamine, were synthesized. Physico‐chemical characterization, i.e. magnetic properties, concentration of magnetite, size of iron oxide core, of the nanoparticles synthesized and the corresponding magnetic fluids obtained, was carried out. Magnetic fluids were screened for in vitro cytotoxicity concerning human fibrosarcoma (HT‐1080), mouse hepatoma (MG‐22A) monolayer tumour cell lines and normal mouse fibroblasts (NIH 3T3). They possess low or moderate cytotoxic effects, are non‐toxic, exhibit high NO‐induction ability and strongly change tumour cell morphology. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On solvability of stochastic differential inclusions with current velocities

An existence of solution theorem is obtained for stochastic differential inclusions given in terms of the so-called current velocities (direct analogues of ordinary velocity of deterministic systems) and quadratic mean derivatives (giving information on the diffusion coefficient) on the flat n-dimensional torus. The current velocity part is single-valued while the quadratic part is set-valued and takes values in symmetric (2,?0) tensors with unit determinant.     

Application of graph-theoretic approaches to the random landscapes of the three-dimensional assignment problem

We study local optima of combinatorial optimization problems. We show that a local search algorithm can be represented as a digraph and apply recent results for spanning forests of a diagraph. We establish a correspondence between the number of local optima and the algebraic multiplicities of eigenvalues of digraph laplacians. We apply our finding to the three-dimensional assignment problem.     

Novel metal complexes of boronated chlorin e6 for photodynamic therapy

Various structural modifications of chlorins are aimed at optimization of biomedical characteristics of these plant-derived tetrapyrrolic compounds. In particular, conjugation with boron polyhedra improves the efficacy of chlorin e₆ derivatives as antitumor photosensitizers. To obtain the compounds that may possess several clinically favorable characteristics, we synthesized a series of metal chlorin e₆ conjugates with 1-carba-closo-dodecaborate anion that contain Pd(II), Sn(IV) or Zn(II) in the coordination sphere of the chlorin macrocycle. The compounds were synthesized by alkylation of amino group in chlorin e₆ metal complexes with 1-trifluoromethanesulfonylmethyl-1-carba-closo-dodecaborate cesium. The water soluble Pd(II) complex of chlorin e₆ 13(1)-N-{2-[N-(1-carba-closo-dodecaboran-1-yl)methyl]aminoethyl}amide-15(2), 17(3)-dimethyl ester (compound 6) evoked low dark cytotoxicity; in striking contrast, 6 potently sensitized human tumor cells to illumination with monochromatic red light. Confocal microscopic studies demonstrated that photoactivation of 6 rapidly (within minutes) changed the patterns of intracellular drug distribution from diffuse cytoplasmic to clustered perinuclear. Co-localization experiments revealed that 6 associated with lysosomes in illuminated cells. These events were paralleled by alteration of mitochondrial shape, a decrease of mitochondrial transmembrane electric potential and the loss of plasma membrane impermeability for propidium iodide, the latter being a hallmark of cell necrosis. Similar mechanisms of cell photodamage were found for structurally close Pd(II) complex of chlorin with neutral carborane and for Sn(IV) chlorin conjugated with the anionic carborane. Thus, metal complexes of carboranylchlorins are efficient photosensitizers capable of triggering rapid necrosis. These compounds are promising for further development as multipotent agents in which each moiety, i.e., metal, the chlorin macrocycle and the boron substituent, as well as the entire complex, can be useful in cancer diagnostics and treatment.     

Biodistribution assessment of a lutetium(III) texaphyrin analogue in tumor-bearing mice using NIR Fourier-transform Raman spectroscopy

The use of near-infrared (NIR)-excited Fourier-transform (FT) Raman spectroscopy as a technique for evaluating the extent of photosensitizer localization in tumor (human pancreatic adenocarcinomas)-bearing mice has been tested using lutetium(III) texaphyrin analogue Lu-T2B2Tex. The complex was injected subcutaneously in the form of three injections given during the course of 3 days. The kinetics of biodistribution were then followed over a time scale of 1-6 days. The NIR-FT-Raman spectra of tissue samples obtained from the xenographic tumor, muscle, heart, brain, liver, spleen, kidney and blood were recorded and used to identify the presence of Lu-T2B2Tex in these tissues. Five Raman sensitizer markers were used to estimate the relative content of Lu-T2B2Tex in tumor at various postinjection times. UV-Visible (Vis) absorption spectroscopic detection of this sensitizer in tissue extracts was applied as a conventional method. Both spectroscopic methods were in good agreement with each other and confirm that Lu-T2B2Tex localizes well in tumor tissue. Maximal drug content was observed 3 days after the final injection. This time delay seems to be optimal for tumor irradiation in photodynamic therapy.     

Vibrational spectra, co-operative intramolecular hydrogen bonding and conformations of calix[4]arene and thiacalix[4]arene molecules and their para-tert-butyl derivatives

The IR and Raman spectra and conformations of calix[4]arene, thiacalix[4]arene and their p-tert-butyl derivatives have been analysed within the framework of scaled quantum mechanics (SQM). It is shown that the introduction of four p-tert-Bu groups into the calixarene molecules influences the relative energies of their conformers and the enthalpy of the cooperative intramolecular H-bonding (DeltaH(intra)) almost negligibly. DeltaH(intra), evaluated from Iogansen's rule, amounts to approximately 26-28 kcal mol(-1) for the calixarenes and approximately 20-21 kcal mol(-1) for the thiacalixarenes, which essentially exceeds the enthalpies of non-cooperative H-bonds formed by related phenols. As a result of this strong bonding, bands of stretching, bending and torsion vibrations of an eight-membered cyclic system (OH...)4 arise, e.g., two delta(OH)4 bands are observed in the IR spectra of the most highly symmetric C4 cone conformations of calix[4]arene and thiacalix[4]arene. The "duplication" of the number of OH infrared bands is a good new indicator of cooperativity of intramolecular H-bonding of the calixarenes.     

Alkaloidosteroids from the starfish Lethasterias nanimensis chelifera

New ionic compounds containing an alkaloidal cation and a steroidal anion have been isolated by reverse-phase liquid chromatography from the extracts of the starfish Lethasterias nanimensis chelifera. Their structures have been elucidated by NMR and mass spectroscopy as 1-methyl-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolinium salts of 3-O-sulfoasterone 1, 3-O-sulfoisoasterone 2 and 3-O-sulfothornasterol A 3. In addition, the alkaloid 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (MTCA) 4 was found in this starfish.     

Alkylation of 2-, 4-, and 8-trialkylsiloxyquinolines by methyl iodide

Trimethyl- and triethylsilyl ethers of 2-, 4-, and 8-hydroxyquinolines have been prepared. The alkylation of these siloxyquinolines by methyl iodide has been studied. In the case of 4-trimethylsiloxyquinoldine, it has been established that both N- and O-alkylation products are formed.Latvian Institute of Organic Chemistry, Riga LV-1006. Translated from Khimiya Geteortsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 9, pp. 1225–1231, September, 1994. Original article submitted September 28, 1994.     

Silyl Modification of Biologically Active Compounds. 10. Lipid Type Organosilicon Derivatives of 8-Hydroxyquinoline and N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro(sila,iso)quinolines

Organosilicon alkylation of the primary alcoholic groups of N-(2-hydroxyalkyl) derivatives of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline, tetrahydroisoquinoline, and 4,4-dimethyltetrahydro-4-silaisoquinoline, and also the hydroxyl group of 8-hydroxyquinoline by trialkyl-chloroalkylsilanes under conditions of phase-transfer catalysis has been investigated. The neurotropic properties and acute toxicity of the synthesized compounds have been investigated.__________Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 713–725, May, 2005.     

Ion dynamics and water percolation effects in DNA polymorphism

The dynamics of ions and water at the surface of DNA are studied by computer simulations in a wide range of hydrations involving the zone of low-hydration polymorphism in DNA. The long-range mobility of ions exhibits a stepwise increase at three distinct hydration levels. The first of them is close to the midpoint of the water percolation transition as well as the midpoint of the transition between A- and B-DNA forms. It coincides with the onset of the dissociation of ion pairs on the DNA surface probably caused by the increase in the water dielectric permittivity due to the appearance of the spanning hydrogen-bonding network. The other two steps are attributed to the formation of percolating water layers on the surface of DNA accompanied by the progressive escape of ions from the DNA surface. The results agree with earlier experimental data and further corroborate the suggested universal mechanism of the low hydration polymorphism in DNA including intraduplex electrostatic condensation close to the water percolation threshold.