Evaluation of CH3-DTPA-Gd (NMS60) as a new MR contrast agent: early phase II study in brain tumors and dual dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging

PURPOSE: A newly developed contrast material, CH3-DTPA-Gd (NMS60), a trimer containing 3 Gd(3+) atoms per molecule, has been shown to offer greater enhancement and longer vascular retention than gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA) in animals. We report on our early phase II study on NMS60 in brain tumor patients together with supplementary investigations. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The longitudinal relaxation rate (R(1)=1/T(1)) and the transverse relaxation rate (R(2)*=1/T(2)*) of NMS60 and Gd-DTPA were determined at 20 degrees C in water at 1.5 T. An NMS60 dose of 0.1 or 0.2 mmol (Gd)/kg was randomly assigned and administered to 10 patients (five women, five men; mean age: 49 years) with brain tumors. Safety and contrast-enhancing ability of NMS60 were evaluated. Dual dynamic contrast-enhanced T(1) and R(2)* studies (DUCE imaging) were also carried out in two patients. RESULTS: Regarding the relaxivity per Gd, R(1) and R(2)* of NMS60 were 9.5 and 11.0 (mmol/L x s)(-1), respectively, compared to 4.8 and 7.2 (mmol/L x s)(-1) for Gd-DTPA. Although a transient slight increase of alanine aminotransferase was observed in one case, no other adverse reactions were observed after administration of NMS60. Contrast enhancement by NMS60 was excellent at both concentrations, and when tumor detectability was assessed with a five-point scale, the diagnostic usefulness was 4 or higher in all cases. In DUCE imaging, NMS60 appeared to show high signal intensity, when compared with the data obtained separately for Gd-DTPA. CONCLUSION: NMS60 had a high contrasting effect and little toxicity, and is expected to be clinically useful.     

Bailey type summation formulas associated with the root system $G_{2}^{\vee}$

We present three types of summation formulas for the root system G₂^úG_{2}^{\vee}, which are generalized from Bailey’s summation formula for a very-well-poised balanced ₆ ψ ₆ basic hypergeometric series.     

Modeling and spectral simulation of matrix-isolated molecules by density functional calculations: a case study on formic acid dimer

The supermolecule approach has been used to model molecules embedded in solid argon matrix, wherein interaction between the guest and the host atoms in the first solvation shell is evaluated with the use of density functional calculations. Structural stability and simulated spectra have been obtained for formic acid dimer (FAD)-Ar(n) (n = 21-26) clusters. The calculations at the B971∕6-31++G(3df,3pd) level have shown that the tetrasubstitutional site on Ar(111) plane is likely to incorporate FAD most stably, in view of consistency with the matrix shifts available experimentally.     

High-pressure-promoted Fmoc-aminoacylation of N-ethylcysteine: preparation of key devices for the solid-phase synthesis of peptide thioesters

In this study synthesis of Fmoc-aminoacyl-N-ethyl-S-triphenylmethylcysteine, a new N→S acyl migratory device for the preparation of peptide thioesters by Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) is described. Condensation of Fmoc-aminoacyl fluoride and N-ethyl-S-triphenylmethylcysteine allyl ester, readily prepared from known S-triphenylmethylcysteine allyl ester, was efficiently promoted in CH₂Cl₂ under high-pressure (800 MPa). When the reaction was performed with the additive DIEA, considerable epimerization at the chiral centers occurred, affording a mixture of diastereomers. When the preparation procedure for N-ethyl-S-triphenylmethylcysteine allyl ester was changed and the additive DIEA in the high-pressure reaction was excluded, Fmoc-aminoacyl-N-ethyl-S-triphenylmethylcysteines was obtained as a single stereoisomer without epimerization. The Fmoc-l-leucine adduct thus prepared was deallylated and used for the SPPS of a known decapeptide. A remarkable increase (44%) in the overall yield of the decapeptidethioester was achieved, compared to the 7% obtained by the stepwise on-resin Leu-Cys condensation method.     

Mesoporous aluminosilicate-catalyzed Sakurai allylation and Mukaiyama aldol reaction of acetals

In the presence of a catalytic amount of mesoporous aluminosilicate (Al-MCM-41), both allyltrimethylsilane and silyl enol ether reacted with various acetals under mild reaction conditions to afford the corresponding homoallyl ethers and β-alkoxy ketones, respectively. The catalyst was easily recovered from the reaction mixture and could be reused in the same reaction without a significant loss of catalytic activity. Moreover, Al-MCM-41 exhibited high chemoselectivity for acetal over aldehyde in the reactions.     

SEPARATION OF THE MINOR FLAVONOLS FROM FLOS GOSSYPII BY HIGH-SPEED COUNTERCURRENT CHROMATOGRAPHY

An effective high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) method was established for further separation and purification of four minor flavonols in addition to five major flavonols which were reported by our previous study from extracts of Flos Gossypii. HSCCC was performed with three two-phase solvent systems composed of n-hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water (7.5:15:6:7, v/v), (2.5:15:2:7, v/v) and (0:1:0:1, v/v). The separation was repeated 3 times, and 3.8 mg of 8-methoxyl-kaempferol-7-O-β-D-rhamnoside (HPLC purity 98.27%), 6.7 mg of astragalin (HPLC purity 94.18%), 3.3 mg of 4'-methoxyl-quercetin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (HPLC purity 94.30%) and 8.2 mg of hyperoside (HPLC purity 93.48%) were separated from 150 mg of the crude sample. The chemical structures of the flavonols were confirmed by MS, (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR. Meanwhile, the results indicated that the target compound with smaller K value (<0.5) can be separated by increasing column length of HSCCC. And four separation rules of flavonols according to the present study and references were summarized, which can be used as a useful guide for separation of flavonols by HSCCC.     

Structural and coordination properties of 1,2-bis(cyclopropyl)-3,4-bis(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-3,4-diphosphinidenecyclobutene prepared by dehydrogenative homocoupling of 3-cyclopropyl-1-(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-1-phosphaallene

According to a protocol for the synthesis of phosphaallenes we recently established, 3-cyclopropyl-1-(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-1-phosphallene was obtained from (Z)-2-bromo-3-cyclopropyl-1-(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-1-phosphapropene. A novel bidentate ligand, 1,2-bis(cyclopropyl)-3,4-bis(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-3,4-diphosphinidenecyclobutene, was prepared by oxidative homocoupling of 3-cyclopropyl-1-(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-1-phosphaallene in the presence of butyllithium, together with the generation of hydrogen gas. The 1,2-bis(cyclopropyl)-3,4-diphosphinidenecyclobutene was allowed to react with (tht)AuCl (tht = tetrahydrothiophene) to afford the corresponding digold(I) complex of a six-membered metallacycle containing the P=C-C=P skeleton. The molecular structures of the 2-bromo-3-cyclopropyl-1-phosphapropene, 1,2-bis(cyclopropyl)-3,4-diphosphinidenecyclobutene and the digold complex were unambiguously determined by X-ray crystallography and are discussed from the point of view of the cyclopropyl conjugation.     

Prolongation of the lifetime of the charge-separated state at low temperatures in a photoinduced electron-transfer system of [60]fullerene and ferrocene moieties tethered by rotaxane structures

A rotaxane tethering both fullerene (C60) and ferrocene (Fc) moieties (abbreviated as (C60;Fc)rotax+) was synthesized in a good yield by the urethane end-capping of pseudorotaxane based on the crown ether-secondary amine motif. In (C60;Fc)rotax+, the C60 group serving as an electron acceptor is attached to the crown ether wheel, through which the axle with a Fc group acting as an electron donor on its end penetrates. The intrarotaxane photoinduced energy-transfer and electron-transfer processes between C60 and Fc in (C60;Fc)rotax+ have been investigated by time-resolved transient absorption and fluorescence measurements with changing solvent polarity. Nanosecond transient absorption measurements of the rotaxane demonstrated that the charge-separated state (C60*-;Fc*+)rotax+ is formed mainly via the excited triplet state of C60 in polar solvents. The lifetime of (C60*-;Fc*+)rotax+ was evaluated to be 20 ns in dimethylformamide (DMF) at room temperature. With lowing temperature, the lifetime of (C60*-;Fc*+)rotax+ extends to 270 ns in DMF at -65 degrees C, due to the structural changes leaving C60*- and Fc*+ at a relatively long distance in the low-temperature region.     

Electronic interplay on illuminated aqueous carbon nanohorn-porphyrin ensembles

Tetracationic water-soluble porphyrin (H(2)P(4+)) has been immobilized by pi-pi stacking interactions onto the skeleton of carbon nanohorns (CNH), without disrupting their pi-electronic network. The stable aqueous solution of the CNH-H(2)P(4+) nanoensemble was examined by both electron microscopy and spectroscopic techniques. The efficient fluorescence quenching of the H(2)P(4+) moiety in the CNH-H(2)P(4+) nanoensemble was probed by steady-state as well as time-resolved fluorescence emission spectroscopy, suggesting charge separation from the photoexcited H(2)P(4+) to CNH. In the presence of methyl viologen dication (MV(2+)) and a hole trap, accumulation of the reduced species of methyl viologen was observed by the photoillumination of CNH-H(2)P(4+), suggesting that the electron migration from the initially formed charge-separated state takes place. Transient absorption spectroscopy gave further insights on the transient species such as the charge-separated state (CNH(*-))-(H(2)P(4+))(*+), which was consumed in the presence of MV(2+) and hole shifter, leaving the reduced methyl viologen.