On the Synthesis of 3-Acetyl-1-aryl-1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-1 H-1,2,4-triazepin-7-ones by Reaction of Nitrilimines with 3-Aminopropanoic Acid

Nitrilimines were prepared from N-arylhydrazono chlorides and reacted with -alanine yielding the corresponding amidrazones, which were treated with 1,1-carbonyldiimidazole in THF affording the hitherto unknown 3-acetyl-1-aryl-1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-1,2,4-triazepin-7-ones.     

Expeditious synthesis of porphyrin-cobaltacarborane conjugates

Two porphyrin-cobaltacarborane conjugates and were prepared in high yields via a nucleophilic ring-opening reaction of . These novel boron-rich and fluorescent compounds have potential application as boron delivery agents for the boron neutron capture therapy of tumors.     

Competitive adsorption and desorption of a bi-solute mixture: effect of activated carbon type

This study aims to clarify the effects of carbon activation type and physical form on the extent of adsorption capacity and desorption capacity of a bi-solute mixture of phenol and 2-chlorophenol (2-CP). For this purpose, two different PACs; thermally activated Norit SA4 and chemically activated Norit CA1, and their granular countertypes with similar physical characteristics, thermally activated Norit PKDA and chemically activated Norit CAgran, were used. The thermally activated carbons were better adsorbers for phenol and 2-CP compared with chemically activated carbons, but adsorption was more reversible in the latter case. 2-CP was adsorbed preferentially by each type of activated carbon, but adsorption of phenol was strongly suppressed in the presence of 2-CP. The simplified ideal adsorbed solution (SIAS) model underestimated the 2-CP loadings and overestimated the phenol loadings. However, the improved and modified forms of the SIAS model could better predict the competitive adsorption. The type of carbon activation was decisive in the application of these models. For each activated carbon type, phenol was desorbed more readily in the bi-solute case, but desorption of 2-CP was less compared with single-solute. This was attributed to higher energies of 2-CP adsorption.     

Some polyhydroxy azo–azomethine derivatives of salicylaldehyde: Synthesis, characterization, spectroscopic, molecular structure and antimicrobial activity studies

Some new substituted polyhydroxy azo–azomethine compounds were prepared by reaction of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane with (E)-2-hydroxy-5-(phenyldiazenyl) benzaldehyde and its substituted derivatives. The structures of azo and azo–azomethine compounds were determined by IR, UV–vis, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopic techniques, and/or X-ray diffraction studies. According to IR spectra, all azo–azomethine compounds adopt keto form in solid state. UV–vis analysis has shown the presence of keto–enol tautomerism in solution for all azo–azomethine compounds, except that for nitro substituted derivative, enol form is dominantly favored in solution. At the same time, above mentioned derivative compounds were studied in vitro for their antimicrobial properties. Among the phenylazosalicylaldehyde series compound tested, 4-phenylazosalicylaldehyde, 4-(3-chlorophenylazo)salicylaldehyde, 4-(2-chlorophenylazo)salicylaldehyde, 4-(4-fluorophenylazo)salicylaldehyde, 4-(3-chlorophenylazo)salicylaldehyde and 4-(4-ethylphenylazo)salicylaldehyde showed a weak antimicrobial activity only against gram positive bacteria. On the contrary, phenylazosalicylaldehyde series compounds were reacted tris(hydroxmethyl)aminomethane, that exhibited a strong antimicrobial activity against gram positive bacteria, yeast and mould. Moreover, while the 2-{[1,3-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)propan-2-ylimino]methyl}phenol did not show an inhibition on tested microorganism, the addition of phenyldiazine groups to 2-{[1,3-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)propan-2-ylimino]methyl}phenol resulted in a strong increases in antimicrobial activity.     

Redox behaviour of cysteine in the presence of ammonium trioxovanadate(V)

The interaction of ammonium trioxovanadate(V) with cysteine in aqueous solution was studied by cyclic voltammetry and absorption spectroscopy techniques. In the absence of cysteine, the cyclic voltammogram (CV) of ammonium trioxovanadate(V) solution in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7) gave two peaks at -0.130 V (reversible) and -0.400 V (irreversible). These peaks (-0.130 V, -0.400 V) can be attributed to V(V)/V(IV) and V(IV)/V(III) redox processes, respectively. In the presence of cysteine at low scan rate (40 mV/s), the peak at -0.780 V, which is assigned to the irreversible reduction of free cystine, was observed. In addition, the reduction peak of the disulfidic anion S(2)(2-) was seen at -0.650 V. Under aerobic conditions, the peaks of the disulfidic anion S(2)(2-) and free cystine are well separated. From electronic spectra of ammonium trioxovanadate(V) and cysteine mixtures, LMCT transition associated with V(V)-cyteine complex was obtained at 743 nm. The stoichiometry (ML(2)) and stability constant (log beta(1:2)=6.67) of V(V)-cysteine complex were determined by means of mole ratio method.     

Polyelectrolyte multilayers and degradable polymer layers as multicompartment films

Polyelectrolyte multilayers are now a well established concept with numerous potential applications in particular as biomaterial coatings. To timely control the biological activity of cells in contact with a substrate, multicompartment films made of different polyelectrolyte multilayers deposited sequentially on the solid substrate constitute a promising new approach. In a first paper (Langmuir 2004, 20, 7298) we showed that such multicompartment films can be designed by alternating exponentially growing polyelectrolyte multilayers acting as reservoirs and linearly growing ones acting as barriers. In the present study, we first demonstrate however that these barriers composed of synthetic polyelectrolytes are not degraded despite the presence of phagocytic cells. We propose an alternative approach where exponentially growing poly(L-lysine)/hyaluronic acid (PLL/HA) multilayers, used as reservoirs, are alternated with biodegradable polymer layers consisting in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and acting as barriers for PLL chains that diffuse within the PLL/HA reservoirs. We first show that these PLGA layers can be deposited alternatively with PLL/HA multilayers leading to polyelectrolyte multilayer/hydrolyzable polymeric layer films and acting as a reservoirs/barriers system. Bone marrow cells seeded on these films ending by a PLL/HA reservoir rapidly degrade it and internalize the PLL chains confined in this reservoir. Then the cells degraded locally the PLGA barrier and internalize the PLL localized in a lower (PLL/HA) compartment after 5 days of seeding. By changing the thickness of the PLGA layer, we hope to be able to tune the time delay of degradation. Such mixed architectures made of polyelectrolyte multilayers and hydrolyzable polymeric layers could act as coatings allowing us to induce a time scheduled cascade of biological activities. We are currently working on the use of comparable films with compartments filled by proteins or peptides and in which the degradation of the barriers results from a hydrolysis over tunable time scales.     

Synthesis of new purine,pteridine, and other pyrimidine derivatives

The reaction of malononitrile dimer with phenyl isothiocyanate gave (6-amino-1-phenyl-2-thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidin-4-ylidene)malononitrile which was then used as starting material in the synthesis of pharmacologically important fused pyrimidine derivatives, such as 4-dicyanomethylidene-1,5-diphenyl-2-thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine, 6-cyano-4-dicyanomethylidene-7-methylsulfanyl-5-oxo-1-phenyl-2-thioxo-1,2,3,4,5,8-hexahydropyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine, 6-dicyanomethylidene-3-phenyl-2-thioxo-1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-9H-purine, and 6-substituted 4-dicyanomethylidene-7-oxo-1-phenyl-2-thioxo-1,2,3,4,7,8-hexahydropteridines. Published in Russian in Zhurnal Organicheskoi Khimii, 2007, Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 443–449. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Dioxomolybdenum(VI) complexes of 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde 4-phenyl-S-methylthiosemicarbazone

Mixed ligand complexes of dioxomolybdenum(VI) with 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde 4-phenyl-S-methylthiosemicarbazone (H₂L) were prepared with the formula [MoO₂(L)D] (D = H₂O, methyl, n-butyl, and n-undecyl alcohol, DMF, DMSO, pyridine, 4-picoline, and 3,5-lutidine). The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The thermal decomposition of the compounds were investigated by using TGA, DTG, and DTA methods in air, and the thermal behavior depending on the second ligand molecule was discussed. A single crystal of the DMF coordinated complex was studied by X-ray diffractometry. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Layer by layer buildup of polysaccharide films: physical chemistry and cellular adhesion aspects

The formation ofpolysaccharide films based on the alternate deposition of chitosan (CHI) and hyaluronan (HA) was investigated by several techniques. The multilayer buildup takes place in two stages: during the first stage, the surface is covered by isolated islets that grow and coalesce as the construction goes on. After several deposition steps, a continuous film is formed and the second stage of the buildup process takes place. The whole process is characterized by an exponential increase of the mass and thickness of the film with the number of deposition steps. This exponential growth mechanism is related to the ability of the polycation to diffuse "in" and "out" of the whole film at each deposition step. Using confocal laser microscopy and fluorescently labeled CHI, we show that such a diffusion behavior, already observed with poly(L-lysine) as a polycation, is also found with CHI, a polycation presenting a large persistence length. We also analyze the effect of the molecular weight (MW) of the diffusing polyelectrolyte (CHI) on the buildup process and observe a faster growth for low MW chitosan. The influence of the salt concentration during buildup is also investigated. Whereas the CHI/HA films grow rapidly at high salt concentration (0.15 M NaCl) with the formation of a uniform film after only a few deposition steps, it is very difficult to build the film at 10(-4) M NaCl. In this latter case, the deposited mass increases linearly with the number of deposition steps and the first deposition stage, where the surface is covered by islets, lasts at least up to 50 bilayer deposition steps. However, even at these low salt concentrations and in the islet configuration, CHI chains seem to diffuse in and out of the CHI/HA complexes. The linear mass increase of the film with the number of deposition steps despite the CHI diffusion is explained by a partial redissolution of the CHI/HA complexes forming the film during different steps of the buildup process. Finally, the uniform films built at high salt concentrations were also found to be chondrocyte resistant and, more interestingly, bacterial resistant. Therefore, the (CHI/HA) films may be used as an antimicrobial coating.     

Primary photodamage sites and mitochondrial events after Foscan photosensitization of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells

To determine the initial photodamage sites of Foscan-mediated photodynamic treatment, we evaluated the enzymatic activities in selected organelles immediately after light exposure of MCF-7 cells. The measurements indicated that the enzymes located in the Golgi apparatus (uridine 5'-diphosphate galactosyl transferase) and in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide [reduced] [NADH] cytochrome c [cyt c] reductase) are inactivated by the treatment, whereas mitochondrial marker enzymes (cyt c oxidase and dehydrogenases) were unaffected. This indicates that the ER and the Golgi apparatus are the primary intracellular sites damaged by Foscan-mediated PDT in MCF-7 cells. We further investigated whether the specific mitochondria events could be associated with Foscan photoinduced cell death. The dose response profiles of mitochondrial depolarization and cytochrome c release immediately after Foscan-based PDT were very different from that of overall cell death. By 24 h post-PDT the fluence dependency was strikingly similar for both mitochondrial alterations and cell death. Therefore, although mitochondria are not directly affected by the treatment, they can be strongly implicated in Foscan-mediated MCF-7 cell death by late and indirect mechanism.