Effective computational modeling of erythrocyte electro-deformation

Due to its crucial role in pathophysiology, erythrocyte deformability represents a subject of intense experimental and modeling research. Here a computational approach to electro-deformation for erythrocyte mechanical characterization is presented. Strong points of the proposed strategy are: (1) an accurate computation of the mechanical actions induced on the cell by the electric field, (2) a microstructurally-based continuum model of the erythrocyte mechanical behavior, (3) an original rotation-free shell finite element, especially suited to the application in hand. As proved by the numerical results, the developed tool is effective and sound, and can foster the role of electro-deformation in single-cell mechanical phenotyping.     

Linear polarization scans for resonant X‐ray diffraction with a double‐phase‐plate configuration

An in‐vacuum double‐phase‐plate diffractometer for performing polarization scans combined with resonant X‐ray diffraction experiments is presented. The use of two phase plates enables the correction of some of the aberration effects owing to the divergence of the beam and its energy spread. A higher rate of rotated polarization is thus obtained in comparison with a system with only a single retarder. Consequently, thinner phase plates can be used to obtain the required rotated polarization rate. These results are particularly interesting for applications at low energy (e.g. 4 keV) where the absorption owing to the phase plate(s) plays a key role in the feasibility of these experiments. Measurements by means of polarization scans at the uranium M₄ edge on UO₂ enable the contributions of the magnetic and quadrupole ordering in the material to be disentangled.     

A designed glycoprotein analogue of Gc-MAF exhibits native-like phagocytic activity

Rational protein design has been successfully used to create mimics of natural proteins that retain native activity. In the present work, de novo protein engineering is explored to develop a mini-protein analogue of Gc-MAF, a glycoprotein involved in the immune system activation that has shown anticancer activity in mice. Gc-MAF is derived in vivo from vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) via enzymatic processing of its glycosaccharide to leave a single GalNAc residue located on an exposed loop. We used molecular modeling tools in conjunction with structural analysis to splice the glycosylated loop onto a stable three-helix bundle (alpha3W, PDB entry 1LQ7). The resulting 69-residue model peptide, MM1, has been successfully synthesized by solid-phase synthesis both in the aglycosylated and the glycosylated (GalNAc-MM1) form. Circular dichroism spectroscopy confirmed the expected alpha-helical secondary structure. The thermodynamic stability as evaluated from chemical and thermal denaturation is comparable with that of the scaffold protein, alpha3W, indicating that the insertion of the exogenous loop of Gc-MAF did not significantly perturb the overall structure. GalNAc-MM1 retains the macrophage stimulation activity of natural Gc-MAF; in vitro tests show an identical enhancement of Fc-receptor-mediated phagocytosis in primary macrophages. GalNAc-MM1 provides a framework for the development of mutants with increased activity that could be used in place of Gc-MAF as an immunomodulatory agent in therapy.     

CT-MQC – a coupled-trajectory mixed quantum/classical method including nonadiabatic quantum coherence effects

Upon photoexcitation by a short light pulse, molecules can reach regions of the configuration space characterized by strong nonadiabaticity, where the motion of the nuclei is strongly coupled to the motion of the electrons. The subtle interplay between the nuclear and electronic degrees of freedom in such situations is rather challenging to capture by state-of-the-art nonadiabatic dynamics approaches, limiting therefore their predictive power. The Exact Factorization of the molecular wavefunction, though, offers new perspectives in the solution of this longstanding issue. Here, we investigate the performance of a mixed quantum/classical (MQC) limit of this theory, named Coupled Trajectory-MQC, which was shown to reproduce the excited-state dynamics of small systems accurately. The method is applied to the study of the photoinduced ring opening of oxirane and the results are compared with two other nonadiabatic approaches based on different Ansätze for the molecular wavefunction, namely Ehrenfest dynamics and Ab Initio Multiple Spawning (AIMS). All simulations were performed using linear-response time-dependent density functional theory. We show that the CT-MQC method can capture the (de)coherence effects resulting from the dynamics through conical intersections, in good agreement with the results obtained with AIMS and in contrast with ensemble Ehrenfest dynamics.     

Effects of Combination Treatments with Astaxanthin-Loaded Microparticles and Pentoxifylline on Intracellular ROS and Radiosensitivity of J774A.1 Macrophages

Radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF) is a serious, yet incurable, complication of external beam radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer. Macrophages are key cellular actors in RIF because of their ability to produce reactive oxidants, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory cytokines that, in turn, are the drivers of pro-fibrotic pathways. In a previous work, we showed that phagocytosis could be exploited to deliver the potent natural antioxidant astaxanthin specifically to macrophages. For this purpose, astaxanthin encapsulated into µm-sized protein particles could specifically target macrophages that can uptake the particles by phagocytosis. In these cells, astaxanthin microparticles significantly reduced intracellular ROS levels and the secretion of bioactive TGFβ and increased cell survival after radiation treatments. Here we show that pentoxifylline, a drug currently used for the treatment of muscle pain resulting from peripheral artery disease, amplifies the effects of astaxanthin microparticles on J774A.1 macrophages. Combination treatments with pentoxifylline and encapsulated astaxanthin might reduce the risk of RIF in cancer patients.     

Raman spectroscopy of nonstacked graphene flakes produced by plasma microjet deposition

An extensive Raman investigation of few‐layer graphene structures, obtained using a plasma microjet technique, is presented. Raman spectroscopy represents a unique method to characterize specific features of these systems. Excitation energies both in the visible and in the deep ultraviolet range are exploited, allowing to extract the main structural properties of the in‐house deposited samples. Particular attention is given to the determination of the stacking order properties of these few‐layer graphene structures. The results presented here also validate the plasma microjet as an efficient deposition technique to obtain graphene‐based systems with a low number of layers and reduced coupling on well defined and spatially localized areas. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chromatographic performance of a new polar poly(ethylene glycol) bonded phase for the phytochemical analysis of Hypericum perforatum L

The aim of this study was to evaluate the chromatographic performance of a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) stationary phase for the HPLC analysis of the secondary metabolites (chlorogenic acid, flavonoids, phloroglucinols and naphthodianthrones) in methanolic extracts of Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's Wort) flowering tops, herbal medicinal products and dietary supplements. A fast and reliable method was developed. The analyses were carried out on a Supelco Discovery HS PEG column (150 mm x 4.6 mm i.d., 5 microm). A gradient mobile phase, composed of 0.1 M aqueous acetic acid solution (pH 2.8) and methanol-acetonitrile (5:4, v/v), was used. The flow rate was 1 mL/min. The photodiode array detector monitored the eluent at 270 (for chlorogenic acid, flavonoids and phloroglucinols) and 590 nm (for naphthodianthrones). The column was maintained at room temperature. The total running time was 40 min. The method was validated and showed good linearity, precision, accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. Through the above described phytochemical markers, this technique allowed the unequivocal identification and standardization of H. perforatum plant material and phytoproducts. The quantification data highlighted the fact that the products on sale, in particular those labeled as dietary supplements, varied widely in the quantitative composition of the active constituents. The developed method could be considered suitable for the quality control of H. perforatum herb and derivatives.     

Preparation of new N6, 9‐disubstituted 2‐phenyl‐adenines and corresponding 8‐azaadenines.: A feasibility study for application to solid‐phase Synthesis. I

A suitably substituted pyrimidine 1 was converted to a number of title compounds. Nucleophilic substitu tion involving the chlorine atoms in 1 by treatment with phenylmethanethiol yielded 2 or 3 , depending on the reaction temperature. Treatment of 3 with an amine afforded 6‐phenylmethanesulfanyl‐N⁴‐substituted‐2‐phenyl‐pyrimidine‐4,5‐diamines 4–7 . These pyrimidines were converted into 2‐phenylpurines 8–11 and 2‐phenyl‐8‐azapurines 12–14 , by treatment with triethyl orthoformate in the presence of hydrochloric acid (or acetic anhydride), or with potassium nitrite and acetic acid respectively. The thioether function on C(6) was then converted into a sulfonyl group by oxidation with m‐chloroperoxybenzoic acid affording purines 15–18 and their 8‐azaanalogs 19–21 ; these compounds, as crude products, were treated with an amine to yield the corresponding adenines 22–25 or 8‐azaadenines 26–31. All reactions were performed under conditions com patible with the possible use of a thiomethyl resin in place of phenylmethanethiol to bind the pyrimidine ring of 1 to a solid phase.     

Protective effects of Commiphora erythraea resin constituents against cellular oxidative damage

By bioguided fractionation of the hexane extract of Commiphora erythraea resin we isolated four furanosesquiterpenoids that were tested for their protective activity against oxidative stress. Furanodienone and 1,10(15)-furanogermacra-dien-6-ones showed to be potent inhibitors of lipid peroxidation (IC(50) of -0.087 μM), being more active than the methoxylated analogues. Furthermore, using BV2 microglial cells, we found that furanodienone from C. erythraea is able to counteract LPS-induced cell death and decrease LPS-induced NO generation thus protecting microglial cells from LPS-induced cytotoxicity. Finally, docking studies were undertaken to gain insight into the possible binding mode of the isolated compounds at 5-LOX binding site.