N,N-Diethyl-3-toluamide Formulation Based on Ethanol Containing 0.1% 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin Attenuates the Drug’s Skin Penetration and Prolongs the Repellent Effect without Stickiness

N,N-diethyl-3-toluamide (DEET) is one of the most widely used insect repellents in the world. It was reported that a solution containing 6–30% cyclodextrin (CD) as a solvent instead of ethanol (EtOH) provided an enhancement of the repellent action time duration of the DEET formulation, although the high-dose CD caused stickiness. In order to overcome this shortcoming, we attempted to prepare a 10% DEET formulation using EtOH containing low-dose CDs (β-CD, 2-hydroxypropyl-β-CD (HPβCD), methyl-β-CD, and sulfobutylether-β-CD) as solvents (DEET/EtOH/CD formulations). We determined the CD concentration to be 0.1% in the DEET/EtOH/CD formulations, since the stickiness of 0.1% CDs was not felt (approximately 8 × 10⁻³ N). The DEET residue on the skin superficial layers was prolonged, and the drug penetration into the skin tissue was decreased by the addition of 0.1% CD. In particular, the retention time and attenuated penetration of DEET on the rat skin treated with the DEET/EtOH/HPβCD formulation was significantly higher in comparison with that of the DEET/EtOH formulation without CD. Moreover, the repellent effect of DEET was more sustained by the addition of 0.1% HPβCD in the study using Aedes albopictus. In conclusion, we found that the DEET/EtOH/HPβCD formulations reduced the skin penetration of DEET and prolonged the repellent action without stickiness.     

Synthesis and properties of hyperbranched poly(ether sulfone)s prepared by self‐polycondensation of novel AB2 monomer

Hyperbranched poly(ether sulfone)s were prepared by the self‐polycondensation of the novel AB₂ monomer, 4‐(3,5‐hydroxyphenoxy)‐4′‐fluorodiphenylsulfone. The high‐molecular‐weight polymers were isolated in good yields. The degree of branching (DB) of the resulting polymers was investigated by the preparation of dendritic and linear model compounds. The DB determined by gated decoupling ¹³C NMR measurements was in the range 0.17–0.41 and was dependent on the base used for the self‐polycondensation. It was found that cesium fluoride was an effective base to form the polymer having the DB of 0.41. The resulting hyperbranched poly(ether sulfone)s showed good solubility in organic solvents. The solubility and the glass transition temperature of the polymers were influenced by the terminal functional groups. The unique thermal crosslinking phenomenon was observed during the DSC measurements of the hydroxyl‐terminated hyperbranched poly(ether sulfone) under air condition. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Cyclic sample pooling using two‐dimensional liquid chromatography system enhances coverage in shotgun proteomics

We report a cyclic sample pooling technique devised in two‐dimensional liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC‐ESI‐MS) shotgun proteomics that renders deeper proteome coverage; we combined low pH reversed‐phase (RP) LC in trifluoroacetic acid in the first dimension, followed by cyclic sample pooling of the eluate and low‐pH RP‐LC in formic acid in the second dimension. The new protocol has a significantly higher resolving power suitable for LC‐ESI‐MS/MS shotgun proteomics. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design of Chitosan-5Fu Conjugate Exhibiting Antitumor Activity

In order to provide a macromolecular prodrug of 5-fluorouracil (5FU) reducing the side effects, having an affinity for tumor cells, and exhibiting strong antitumor activity, the covalent attachments of 5FUs to chitosan and chitosamino-oligosaccharide (COS) through hexamethylene spacer groups via urea, urea bonds were carried out. The effect of prolongation of life was tested in vivo against p388 lyrnphocytic leukemia in female CDF, mice by intra-peritoneal (i.p.) transplantation/i.p. injection and the growth-inhibitory effect on Meth-A fibrosarcoma or MH-134Y heputoma was evaluated in vivo in SPF-C3H/He scl male or Balb/c male mice by subcutaneous (s.c.) implantation/intravenous (i.v.) injection. The effects of the degree of polymerization of chitosan and     

Opening and Addition Modes in Propagation During Radical Polymerization of Fumaric and Maleic Derivatives

Abstract

Polymers of bis(trimethylsilyl) fumarate, di-tert-amyl fumarate, and methyl tert-amyl fumarate were prepared by radical polymerization at 60 or 120°C. The polymers were converted into poly(dimethyl fumarate) via thermolysis or hydrolysis and subsequent methylation to determine the tacticity using ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. The probabilities of meso addition (P _m) were revealed to be 0.66 (60°C) for the bis(trimethylsilyl) ester, 0.60 (60°C) and 0.52 (120°C) for the di-tert-amyl ester, and 0.54 (60 and 120°C) for the methyl tert-amyl ester. From the temperature dependence of the P _m values, the differences in activation enthalpies and entropies for the meso and racemo additions were evaluated. The microstructure of poly(dimethyl fumarate) derived from poly(maleic anhydride) was also examined. The opening and addition modes in propagation of the fumaric and maleic derivatives were discussed based on the results obtained in the present and previous work.     

Decreased l-tryptophan concentration in distinctive brain regions of mice treated repeatedly with phencyclidine

It has been reported that repeated phencyclidine (PCP) treatment induces schizophrenia-like behavior in mice. l-Tryptophan (Trp) concentrations in brain tissues of control (n?=?8) and PCP-treated mice (10 mg/kg/day, s.c., 14 days, n?=?10) were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. The HPLC method involved pre-column fluorescence derivatization with (R)-(?)-4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-7-(3-isothiocyanatopyrrolidin-1-yl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-PyNCS). Eight different parts of the brain, namely, the frontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, striatum, hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus, and cerebellum, of both groups were investigated. A significant decrease in the l-Trp concentration in the nucleus accumbens (p?=?0.024) and hippocampus (p?=?0.027) was observed in PCP-treated mice, suggesting that alteration of the l-Trp metabolism might occur in these brain parts.     

Facile Synthesis of Oxamides by Efficient Trapping of Carbamoyl Lithiums with Isocyanates

Unsymmetrical oxamides are conveniently synthesized in good yields by a new trapping reaction of unstable carbamoyl lithiums with isocyanates.