In Vivo Imaging of the Tumor‐Associated Enzyme NCEH1 with a Covalent PET Probe

Herein, we report the development of an ¹⁸F‐labeled, activity‐based small‐molecule probe targeting the cancer‐associated serine hydrolase NCEH1. We undertook a focused medicinal chemistry campaign to simultaneously preserve potent and specific NCEH1 labeling in live cells and animals, while permitting facile ¹⁸F radionuclide incorporation required for PET imaging. The resulting molecule, [¹⁸F]JW199, labels active NCEH1 in live cells at nanomolar concentrations and greater than 1000‐fold selectivity relative to other serine hydrolases. [¹⁸F]JW199 displays rapid, NCEH1‐dependent accumulation in mouse tissues. Finally, we demonstrate that [¹⁸F]JW199 labels aggressive cancer tumor cells in vivo, which uncovered localized NCEH1 activity at the leading edge of triple‐negative breast cancer tumors, suggesting roles for NCEH1 in tumor aggressiveness and metastasis.     

Nitric oxide binding and photodelivery based on ruthenium(II) complexes of 4-arylazo-3,5-dimethylpyrazole

Two fluorescent ligands, 3,5-dimethyl-4-(6'-sulfonylammonium-1'-azonaphthyl)pyrazole (dmpzn, 1) and 3,5-dimethyl-4-(4'-N,N'-dimethylaminoazophenyl)pyrazole (dmpza, 2) were obtained by condensation of ketoenolic derivatives with hydrazine. 1 and 2 formed the novel dinuclear complexes [(H(2)O)(3)ClRu(micro-L)(2)RuCl(H(2)O)(3)] (3 or 4) and [(H(2)O)(NO)Cl(2)Ru(micro-L)(2)RuCl(2)(NO)(H(2)O)] (6 or 7) (where L 1 = 2 or , respectively) which were characterized by IR, NMR and elemental analysis. The nitrosyl complexes were prepared by bubbling purified nitric oxide through methanol solutions of the corresponding ruthenium(II) chloroderivative or by reaction of the appropriate ligands with Ru(NO)Cl(3). Complexes 3 and 4 were found to bind NO, resulting in an increase in fluorescence. Ligand 1 also formed the mononuclear nitrosyl complex [Ru(NO)(bpy)(2)(dmpzn)]Cl(2) (8) which released NO in water at physiological pH and in the solid state as revealed by fluorescence and IR measurements, respectively.     

A first approach using micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography for the determination of fipronil and fipronil-sulfone in eggs

Fipronil is an insecticide that is not approved in the European Union in food. In 2017, fipronil was involved in a European health alert due to its presence in fresh hen eggs because of an illicit use in poultry farms, so reliable methods are needed to determine fipronil and its main metabolites in these matrixes. In this work, we report the first approach to the study of fipronil and two metabolites, fipronil-sulfone and fipronil-sulfide by CE. MEKC mode was employed using a solution of 50 mM ammonium perfluorooctanoate pH 9.0 with 10% (v/v) methanol as background electrolyte. The proposed method was combined with a simple sample treatment based on salting-out assisted LLE (SALLE) using acetonitrile as extraction solvent and ammonium sulfate as salt. The SALLE–MEKC–UV method allowed the simultaneous quantification of fipronil and fipronil-sulfone. Validation parameters yielded satisfactory results, with precision, expressed as relative SD, below 14% and recoveries higher than 83%. Limits of detection were 90 µg/kg for fipronil and 150 µg/kg for fipronil-sulfone, so in terms of sensitivity further studies of sample treatments allowing extra preconcentration or the use of more sensitive detection, such as MS, would be needed.     

New route to 15-hydroxydehydroabietic acid derivatives: application to the first synthesis of some bioactive abietane and nor-abietane type terpenoids

A new route to 15-hydroxydehydroabietic acid derivatives from abietic acid (11), via abieta-8,13(15)-dien-18-oic acid (12), is reported. Utilizing this, the first synthesis of bioactive terpenes 3, 6, 9 and 10, as well as natural diol 4 and lactones 7-8 was achieved.     

Comparative properties of Amazonian oils obtained by different extraction methods

Pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.), baba?u (Orbignya phalerata Mart.), buriti (Mauritia flexuosa), and passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) oils were studied to determine their antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities, as well as their total phenol and carotenoid contents. The fatty acid contents were determined by GC-MS. The three types of passion fruit oils studied were refined, cold pressed or extracted from seeds in a Soxhlet apparatus. The oils thus obtained showed differences in antioxidant activity and carotenoid content, but were similar in regard to total phenols. Buriti and pequi had the highest carotenoid contents, while refined and cold pressed passion fruit oil displayed the highest antioxidant activity. Pequi oil was the only oil to display antibacterial and cytotoxic activity.     

Multi-technique Characterization of Self-assembled Carboxylic Acid Terminated Alkanethiol Monolayers on Nanoparticle and Flat Gold Surfaces

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with 14, 25 and 40nm diameters were functionalized with different chain length (C6, C8, C11 and C16) carboxylic acid terminated alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (COOH-SAMs). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) were used to examine the changes in surface chemistry as both AuNP diameter and SAM chain length were varied. COOH-SAMs on flat gold surfaces were also examined and compared to the COOH-SAM on AuNP results. For a given surface, as the COOH-SAM chain length increased the XPS C/Au atomic ratio increased due to an increased number of carbon atoms per molecule in the overlayer and an increased attenuation of the Au substrate signal. For the C16 COOH-SAMs, as the size of AuNPs decreased the XPS C/Au atomic ratio and the apparent SAM thickness increased due to the increased curvature of the smaller AuNPs. The C16 COOH-SAMs on the flat Au had the lowest XPS C/Au atomic ratio and apparent SAM thickness of any C16 COOH-SAM covered Au surface. The effective take-off angles of the COOH-SAMs were also calculated by comparing the apparent thickness of COOH-SAMs with literature values. The effective take-off angle for C16 COOH-SAM on 14nm, 25nm and 40nm diameter AuNPs and flat Au were found to be 57°, 53°, 51° and 39°, respectively, for data acquired in a mode that collects a wide range of photoelectron take-off angles. The effective take-off angle for C16 COOH-SAM on 14nm AuNP and flat Au decreased to 52° and 0°, respectively, for data acquired in a mode that collects a narrow range of photoelectron take-off angles. The ToF-SIMS results showed similar changes in surface chemistry with COOH-SAM chain length and AuNP size. For example, the ratio of the sum of the C(1-4)H(x)O(y) positive ion intensities to the sum of the Au-containing positive ions intensities increased with decreasing AuNP size and increasing COOH-SAM chain length. Fourier transform IR spectroscopy in the attenuated total reflectance mode (FTIR-ATR) was used to characterize the crystallinity of the COOH-SAMs. The CH(2) stretching frequencies decreased with increasing COOH-SAM chain length on flat Au. The C16 COOH-SAM on the 14nm AuNPs exhibited a crystalline-like CH(2) stretching frequency. The size, size distribution, shapes and solution stability of AuNPs were investigated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV/VIS spectroscopy. As the average diameter of the AuNPs decreased the size distribution became narrower and the shape became more spherical.     

Exploring the heteroatom effect on polyelectrolyte multilayer assembly: the neglected polyoniums

Different positive polyelectrolytes having the same charge density, molecular weight, and molecular weight distribution were employed for polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEMU) assembly. The polycations differed only in the heteroatom on which the positive charge resided: poly(vinyl benzyl trimethyl ammonium) chloride, poly(vinyl benzyl trimethyl phosphonium) chloride, and poly(vinyl benzyl dimethyl sulfonium) chloride. While the ammonium repeat unit has been employed on numerous occasions for PEMU assembly, the phosphonium and sulfonium units are relatively neglected. The polyanions, poly(styrene sulfonate), PSS, or poly(acrylic acid), PAA, were typical pH-independent or pH-dependent polymers, respectively. All three polyoniums were quite similar in showing linear layer-by-layer buildup with PSS and exponential growth with PAA, under the conditions employed. Hydration and wettability were also similar between polyoniums.     

Arene C?H Amination at Nickel in Terphenyl–Diphosphine Complexes with Labile Metal–Arene Interactions

The meta‐terphenyl diphosphine, m‐P₂, 1 , was utilized to support Ni centers in the oxidation states 0, I, and II. A series of complexes bearing different substituents or ligands at Ni was prepared to investigate the dependence of metal–arene interactions on oxidation state and substitution at the metal center. Complex (m‐P₂)Ni ( 2 ) shows strong Ni⁰–arene interactions involving the central arene ring of the terphenyl ligand both in solution and the solid state. These interactions are significantly less pronounced in Ni⁰ complexes bearing L‐type ligands ( 2‐L : L=CH₃CN, CO, Ph₂CN₂), Ni^IX complexes ( 3‐X : X=Cl, BF₄, N₃, N₃B(C₆F₅)₃), and [(m‐P₂)Ni^IICl₂] ( 4 ). Complex 2 reacts with substrates, such as diphenyldiazoalkane, sulfur ylides (Ph₂S?CH₂), organoazides (RN₃: R=para‐C₆H₄OMe, para‐C₆H₄CF₃, 1‐adamantyl), and N₂O with the locus of observed reactivity dependent on the nature of the substrate. These reactions led to isolation of an η¹‐diphenyldiazoalkane adduct ( 2‐Ph₂CN₂ ), methylidene insertion into a Ni? P bond followed by rearrangement of a nickel‐bound phosphorus ylide ( 5 ) to a benzylphosphine ( 6) , Staudinger oxidation of the phosphine arms, and metal‐mediated nitrene insertion into an arene C? H bond of 1 , all derived from the same compound ( 2 ). Hydrogen‐atom abstraction from a Ni^I–amide ( 9 ) and the resulting nitrene transfer supports the viability of Ni–imide intermediates in the reaction of 1 with 1‐azido‐arenes.