Spectral studies of copper(II) complexes of tridentate acylhydrazone ligands with heterocyclic compounds as coligands: X-ray crystal structure of one acylhydrazone copper(II) complex

Six copper(II) complexes of 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde nicotinoylhydrazone (H2hmbn), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxyacetophenone nicotinoylhydrazone (H2hman), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde benzoylhydrazone (H2hmbb) and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxyacetophenone benzoylhydrazone (H2hmab) have been synthesized. The complexes viz. [Cu(hmbn)](2)·2H(2)O (1), [Cu(hman)](2) (2), [Cu(hmbb)](2)·2H(2)O (3), [Cu(hmbb)phen]·1(1/2)H2O (4), [Cu(hmbb)(bipy)·H2O] (5) and [Cu(hmab)phen] (6) were characterized by different physicochemical techniques. The crystal structure of [Cu(hman)phen] is obtained and it has a distorted square pyramidal geometry with π-π stacking interactions and significant C-H π interactions.     

Synthesis and characterization of Mo(VI) complexes derived from ONO donor acylhydrazones

Four new dioxomolybdenum(VI) complexes were prepared using different acylhydrazones. Hydrazones used for complexation were derived from 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxyacetophenone, benzhydrazide and nicotinoyl hydrazide. The complexes were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques, thermal and elemental analyses. The (1)H NMR and IR spectral data indicate tridentate nature of the ligands through enolization. IR spectra provide information about the dimeric nature of the complexes. The thermal analyses of the complexes showed the presence of lattice water in some of the complexes.     

N'-(1-([1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)ethylidene)-2-cyanoacetohydrazide as scaffold for the synthesis of diverse heterocyclic compounds as prospective antitumor and antimicrobial activities

In this article, the main target was to study the antitumor and antimicrobial efficacy of new heterocycles conjugated with biphenyl moiety in-vitro. This was implemented by utilizing N'-(1-([1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)ethylidene)-2-cyanoacetohydrazide 3 as a material for the synthesis of various heterocyclic compounds. Among of them, some compounds were selected and assayed against two antitumor cell lines as (HepG2) and (HCT-116). Conspicuously, the achieved results showed that compounds 6, 13, and 23 possess significant potency against both cancer cell lines. Particularly, compound 13 exhibited a remarkable efficacy, similar to the standard anticancer drug (doxorubicin), against both cancer cell lines. Noteworthy, compound 13 may serve as a potential anticancer therapeutic drug in the future. On the other hand, In-vitro antifungal and antibacterial activities of selected compounds were assayed and the results indicated that the compound 6 exhibited significant potency against Candida albicans, while compounds 6 and 8 displayed spectacular results for the antibacterial study.     

Vesicles in ionic liquids

The formation of vesicles from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) in several room-temperature ionic liquids, namely, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BmimBF(4)), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BmimPF(6)), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EmimNTf(2)), and N-benzylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BnPyNTf(2)), as well as in a water/BmimBF(4) mixture, was investigated. In pure ionic liquids, observations by staining transmission electron microscopy demonstrated clearly the formation of spherical structures with diameters of 200-400 nm. The morphological characteristics of these vesicles in ionic liquids, in particular, the membrane thicknesses, were first investigated by small-angle neutron scattering measurements. The mean bilayer thickness was found to be ～63 ± 1 ? in a deuterated ionic liquid (BnPyNTf(2)-d). This value was similar to that observed in water. The effect of ILs on the modification of the phase physical properties of multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) was then investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. In pure IL as in water, DPPC exhibited an endothermic pretransition followed by the main transition. These transition temperatures and the associated enthalpies in ILs were higher than those in water because of a reduction of the electrostatic repulsion between zwitterionic head groups. To better understand the effect of ionic liquid on the formation of multilamellar vesicles, mixtures of BmimBF(4) and water, which are miscible in all proportions, were analyzed (BmimBF(4)/water ratio from 0% to 100%). SANS and DSC experiments demonstrated that the bilayer structure and stability were strongly modified by the IL content. Moreover, matching SANS experiments showed that BmimBF(4) molecules prefer to be located inside the DPPC membrane rather than in water.     

Determination of post-culture processing with carbohydrates by MALDI-MS and TMS derivatization GC-MS

Biological materials generally require stabilization to retain activity or viability in a dry form. A number of industrial products, such as vaccines, probiotics and biopesticides have been produced as dry preparations. The same methods and materials used for stabilizing commercial microbial products may be applicable to preserving biothreat pathogens in a dry form. This is a likely step that may be encountered when looking at samples from terrorism attempts since only spores, such as those from Bacillus anthracis, are inherently stable when dried. The stabilizers for microbial preparations generally include one or more small carbohydrates. Different formulations have been reported for different industrial products and are often determined empirically. However sugar alcohols (mannitol and sorbitol) and disaccharides (lactose, sucrose and trehalose) are the common constituents of these formulations. We have developed an analytical method for sample preparation and detection of these simple carbohydrates using two complementary analytical tools, MALDI-MS and GC-MS. The native carbohydrates and other constituents of the formulation are detected by MALDI-MS as a screening tool. A longer and more detailed analysis is then used to specifically identify the carbohydrates by derivatization and GC-MS detection. Both techniques were tested against ten different types of stabilization recipes with Yersinia pestis cell mass cultured on different media types used as the biological component. A number of additional components were included in these formulations including proteins and peptides from serum or milk, polymers (e.g. poly vinyl pyrrolidone - PVP) and detergents (e.g. Tween). The combined method was characterized to determine several figures of merit. The accuracy of the method was 98% for MALDI-MS and 100% for GC-MS. The repeatability for detection of carbohydrates by MALDI-MS was determined to be 96%. The repeatability of compound identification by GC-MS was determined by monitoring variation in retention time, which is vital for identification of isomeric carbohydrates. The figures of merit illustrate an effective and accurate method for mono and disaccharide detection independent of formulation. This meets our primary goal for method development as small carbohydrates are among the most common stabilizers employed.     

Photodynamic therapy with Pc 4 induces apoptosis of Candida albicans

The high prevalence of drug resistance necessitates the development of novel antifungal agents against infections caused by opportunistic fungal pathogens, such as Candida albicans. Elucidation of apoptosis in yeast-like fungi may provide a basis for future therapies. In mammalian cells, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been demonstrated to generate reactive oxygen species, leading to immediate oxidative modifications of biological molecules and resulting in apoptotic cell death. In this report, we assess the in vitro cytotoxicity and mechanism of PDT, using the photosensitizer Pc 4, in planktonic C. albicans. Confocal image analysis confirmed that Pc 4 localizes to cytosolic organelles, including mitochondria. A colony formation assay showed that 1.0 μM Pc 4 followed by light at 2.0 J cm(-2) reduced cell survival by 4 logs. XTT (2,3-bis[2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl]-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxyanilide) assay revealed that Pc 4-PDT impaired fungal metabolic activity, which was confirmed using the FUN-1 (2-chloro-4-[2,3-dihydro-3-methyl-(benzo-1,3-thiazol-2-yl)-methylidene]-1-phenylquinolinium iodide) fluorescence probe. Furthermore, we observed changes in nuclear morphology characteristic of apoptosis, which were substantiated by increased externalization of phosphatidylserine and DNA fragmentation following Pc 4-PDT. These data indicate that Pc 4-PDT can induce apoptosis in C. albicans. Therefore, a better understanding of the process will be helpful, as PDT may become a useful treatment option for candidiasis.     

Studies of glutathione transferase P1-1 bound to a platinum(IV)-based anticancer compound reveal the molecular basis of its activation

Platinum-based cancer drugs, such as cisplatin, are highly effective chemotherapeutic agents used extensively for the treatment of solid tumors. However, their effectiveness is limited by drug resistance, which, in some cancers, has been associated with an overexpression of pi class glutathione S-transferase (GST P1-1), an important enzyme in the mercapturic acid detoxification pathway. Ethacraplatin (EA-CPT), a trans-Pt(IV) carboxylate complex containing ethacrynate ligands, was designed as a platinum cancer metallodrug that could also target cytosolic GST enzymes. We previously reported that EA-CPT was an excellent inhibitor of GST activity in live mammalian cells compared to either cisplatin or ethacrynic acid. In order to understand the nature of the drug-protein interactions between EA-CPT and GST P1-1, and to obtain mechanistic insights at a molecular level, structural and biochemical investigations were carried out, supported by molecular modeling analysis using quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical methods. The results suggest that EA-CPT preferentially docks at the dimer interface at GST P1-1 and subsequent interaction with the enzyme resulted in docking of the ethacrynate ligands at both active sites (in the H-sites), with the Pt moiety remaining bound at the dimer interface. The activation of the inhibitor by its target enzyme and covalent binding accounts for the strong and irreversible inhibition of enzymatic activity by the platinum complex.     

Bisulfite-free analysis of 5MeC-binding proteins and locus-specific methylation density using a microparticle-based flow cytometry assay

DNA methylation analysis is emerging as a new technique with potential capabilities for early cancer detection. However, current state-of-the-art techniques are not easily translatable into routine clinical methods. Herein we describe a bead-based flow cytometry assay which combines DNA hybridization to microparticles with 5MeC-specific proteins/antibodies. These assays can be used to study the binding properties of current and emerging 5MeC-binding proteins and may also have potential in the measurement of 5MeC density in clinical samples for cancer detection.     

A modeling/solution approach for optimal deployment of a weapons arsenal

This paper reports a real-world application of a large-scale assignment/allocation mixed-integer program for optimal deployment and targeting of missiles for the U.S. Strategic Air Command. We provide a NETFORM model that reduces the number of zero-one variables of a standard integer programming formulation by more than two orders of magnitude (by factors approaching 500) and a tailored NETFORM software system that solves problems involving 2,400 zero-one variables and 984,000 continuous variables to within 99.9% of optimality in less than one minute on an IBM 4381.This research was supported in part by the Center for Business Decision Analysis, the Hugh Roy cullen Centennial Chair in Business Administration, and the Office of Naval Research under Contract N00014-87-K-0190. Reproduction in whole or in part is permitted for any purpose of the U.S. Government.     

Palladate salts from chiral pyridinium ionic liquids: synthesis and crystal structures

This paper reports the preparation, characterization and the crystal X-ray structures of metal-containing ionic liquid complexes based on chiral pyridinium cations and tetrachloropalladate (II) [PdCl4]2-.