Protective effects of cyanidin-3-O-beta-glucopyranoside against UVA-induced oxidative stress in human keratinocytes

Ultraviolet-A (UVA) radiation causes significant oxidative stress because it leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to extensive cellular damage and eventual cell death either by apoptosis or necrosis. We evaluated the protective effects of cyanidin-3-O-beta-glucopyranoside (C-3-G) against UVA-induced apoptosis and DNA fragmentation in a human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT). Treatment of HaCaT cells with C-3-G before UVA irradiation inhibited the formation of apoptotic cells (61%) and DNA fragmentation (54%). We also investigated antioxidant properties of C-3-G in HaCaT cells against ROS formation at apoptotic doses of UVA; C-3-G inhibited hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) release (an indicator of cellular ROS formation) after UVA irradiation. Further confirmation of the potential of C-3-G to counteract UVA-induced ROS formation comes from our demonstration of its ability to enhance the resistance of HaCaT cells to the apoptotic effects of both H2O2 and the superoxide anion (O2*-), two ROS involved in UVA-oxidative stress. Furthermore, in terms of Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Activity, C-3-G treatment led to a greater increase in antioxidant activity in the membrane-enriched fraction than in the cytosol (55% vs 19%). The protective effects against UVA-induced ROS formation can be attributed to the higher membrane levels of C-3-G incorporation. These encouraging in vitro results support further research into C-3-G (and other anthocyanins) as novel agents for skin photoprotection.     

Plasma determination of 3-methylclonazepam by capillary gas chromatography

A capillary gas-liquid chromatographic method for the determination of 3-methylclonazepam in plasma was developed. This method involved a single extraction by butyl acetate followed by analysis of the organic extract on a CP-Sil 5 glass capillary column with detection by electron capture. The detection limit was about 0.1 ng/ml, and the inter- and intra-assay precision did not exceed 8% for the concentration range 0.1-6.0 ng/ml. Specificity towards some of the possible metabolites in human plasma was demonstrated. This method was used for the measurement of the pharmacokinetic parameters of 3-methylclonazepam in healthy volunteers after a single intravenous administration of 1 mg, and oral administrations of 1 and 4 mg.     

Water absorption of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A/1,3-bisaminomethylcyclohexane (DGEBA/1,3-BAC) epoxy resin system

The diffusive and dynamic mechanical behavior of the DGEBA/1,3-BAC epoxy resin system was studied during water absorption. The diffusion of water was investigated at 100% relative humidity, by immersion of specimens in water at 60, 80 and 100°C. In all absorption experiments, water diffusion followed Fick's law. Diffusion coefficients and saturated water concentrations are given for these temperatures. The activation energy for diffusion was determined from the relationship between the diffusion coefficient and the reciprocal of the absolute temperature. The value obtained was 31.2 kJ mol^–1. Dynamic mechanical analysis of samples immersed in 100°C water and with various water contents showed both a shift of T_g, defined by thetan peak, to lower temperatures and a slight decrease in the dynamic modulus in the presence of water. These effects are probably a result of plasticization.This work was supported by the Xunta de Galicia through grant XUGA-17201A92.     

N-Heterocyclic carbene–carbodiimide (NHC–CDI) betaine adducts: synthesis,characterization, properties,and applications

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are an important class of reactive organic molecules used as ligands, organocatalysts, and σ-donors in a variety of electroneutral ylide or betaine adducts with main-group compounds. An emerging class of betaine adducts made from the reaction of NHCs with carbodiimides (CDIs) form zwitterionic amidinate-like structures with tunable properties based on the highly modular NHC and CDI scaffolds. The adduct stability is controlled by the substituents on the CDI nitrogens, while the NHC substituents greatly affect the configuration of the adduct in the solid state. This Perspective is intended as a primer to these adducts, touching on their history, synthesis, characterization, and general properties. Despite the infancy of the field, NHC–CDI adducts have been applied as amidinate-type ligands for transition metals and nanoparticles, as junctions in zwitterionic polymers, and to stabilize distonic radical cations. These applications and potential future directions are discussed.

N-heterocyclic carbene-carbodiimide betaine adducts are zwitterionic amidinate-like structures with tunable properties that have applications as ligands, junctions in supramolecular polymers, and stabilizers for radical cations.     

Stereodynamics of 9,11-Diphenyl-10-azatetracyclo[6.3.0.0.(4,11)0.(5,9)]undecanes. Highly Restricted Nitrogen Inversion and Isolated Phenyl Rotation. X-ray Crystallographic, Dynamic NMR, and Molecular Mechanics Studies

The (1)H NMR spectra of 10-benzyl-9,11-diphenyl-10-azatetracyclo[6.3.0.0.(4,11)0.(5,9)]undecane (BnPh(2)()) and 10-methyl-9,11-diphenyl-10-azatetracyclo[6.3.0.0.(4,11)0.(5,9)]undecane (MePh(2)()) decoalesce due to slowing inversion at nitrogen and to slowing isolated bridgehead phenyl rotation. The high nitrogen inversion barriers in MePh(2)() (DeltaG() = 12.2 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol at 250 K) and BnPh(2)() (DeltaG() = 10.6 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol at 215 K) are typical of tertiary amines in which at least one C-N-C bond angle is constrained to a small value. Compared to the minuscule rotation barriers about sp(2)-sp(3) carbon-carbon bonds in simple molecular systems, the bridgehead phenyl rotation barriers in MePh(2)() (DeltaG() = 9.8 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol at 210 K) and BnPh(2)() (DeltaG() = 9.8 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol at 210 K) are unusually high. Molecular mechanics calculations (MMX force field) suggest that the origin of the high phenyl rotation barriers lies in the close passage of an o-phenyl proton and a methyl (or benzylmethylene) proton in the transition state. BnPh(2)() crystallized from hexane as white needles in the monoclinic system Pn. Unit cell dimensions are as follows: a = 12.198(1) ?, b = 6.1399(6) ?, c = 14.938(2) ?, beta = 107.470(4) degrees, V = 1067.1(2) ?(3), Z = 2. In the crystal molecular structure, the imine bridge CNC bond angle in BnPh(2)() is constrained to a small value (96 degrees ). The benzylic phenyl group is oriented gauche to the nitrogen lone pair.     

Degradation Kinetics of an Epoxy/Cycloaliphatic Amine Resin Under Isothermal and Non-isothermal Conditions

A study of an epoxy-cycloaliphatic amine system has been realized using a thermogravimetric technique (TG). Isothermal and non-isothermal (dynamic) methods were employed to determine the kinetic data of this system. Five methods were used for determining the activation energies of this system in the dynamic heating experiments. In two of them (Flynn-Wall-Ozawa, and Kissinger) it is not necessary to have a prior knowledge of the reaction mechanism of the degradation behaviour for this system. In the other ones (Coats and Redfern, Horowitz and Metzger, and Van Krevelen et al.) it is necessary to know this reaction mechanism, besides Criado et al. method was used for determining it. The results have shown that good agreement between the activation energies obtained from all methods can be achieved if it is assumed that the degradation behaviour of this system is of sigmoidal-rate type. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The utilization of classical spin Monte Carlo methods to simulate the magnetic behavior of extended three-dimensional cubic networks incorporating M(II) ions with an S = 5/2 ground state spin

The numerical simulations of the magnetic properties of extended three-dimensional networks containing M(II) ions with an S = 5/2 ground-state spin have been carried out within the framework of the isotropic Heisenberg model. Analytical expressions fitting the numerical simulations for the primitive cubic, diamond, together with (10-3) cubic networks have all been derived. With these empirical formulas in hands, we can now extract the interaction between the magnetic ions from the experimental data for these networks. In the case of the primitive cubic network, these expressions are directly compared with those from the high-temperature expansions of the partition function. A fit of the experimental data for three complexes, namely [(N(CH(3))(4)][Mn(N(3))] 1, [Mn(CN(4))](n)() 2, and [Fe(II)(bipy)(3)][Mn(II)(2)(ox)(3)] 3, has been carried out. The best fits were those obtained using the following parameters, J = -3.5 cm(-)(1), g = 2.01 (1); J = -8.3 cm(-)(1), g = 1.95 (2); and J = -2.0 cm(-)(1), g = 1.95 (3).     

Propagation of melting cooperativity along the phosphodiester backbone of DNA

The role of the DNA phosphodiester backbone in the transfer of melting cooperativity between two helical domains was experimentally addressed with a helix-bulge-helix DNA model, in which the bulge consisted of a varying number of either conformationally flexible propanediol or conformationally constrained bicyclic anucleosidic phosphodiester backbone units. We found that structural communication between two double helical domains is transferred along the DNA backbone over the equivalent of ca. 12-20 backbone units, depending on whether there is a symmetric or asymmetric distribution of the anucleosidic units on both strands. We observed that extension of anucleosidic units on one strand only suffices to disrupt cooperativity transfer in a similar way as if extension occurs on both strands, indicating that the length of the longest anucleosidic inset determines cooperativity transfer. Furthermore, conformational rigidity of the sugar unit increases the distance of coopertivity transfer along the phosphodiester backbone. This is especially the case when the units are asymmetrically distributed in both strands.     

Determination of chloroquine in biological material by gas-liquid chromatography (author's transl)]

A method is developed for the gas chromatographic determination of chloroquine after extraction from biological material, using medazepam as the internal standard and a column filled with 3% OV-17 on Gas-Chrom Q. The detection limits are: 0.15 mug/ml of urine, 0.25 mug/ml of whole blood, and 1.50 mug/g of tissue. The technique can be applied in toxicological analysis and in monitoring drug levels.