Immobilization of nanofibrous metal oxides on microfibers: a macrostructured catalyst system functionalized with nanoscale fibrous metal oxides

Nanofibrous LaMnO(3) can be immobilized on macrostructured materials using carbon nanofibers as templates; their application as macro-nanostructured catalysts are also presented.     

Synthesis of a new bifunctionalised fluorescent label and physical properties of the bound form on model peptide of troponin C

A new bifunctional fluorescent label, BRos, was synthesised in order to monitor protein dynamics using fluorescence microscopy, and the photophysical properties were compared with those of bifunctionalised rhodamine, BRho. In a labelling experiment with a model peptide of troponin C, which regulates muscle contraction and relaxation, it was found that BRos was bound to the peptide through two linkages and provided a homogeneous compound, whereas BRho gave a pair of diastereomers having different physical properties in NMR and HPLC analyses.     

Methylenecyclopropanes in [4+1] cycloaddition with enones

A nickel-catalyzed [4+1] cycloaddition of enones with methylenecyclopropanes leading to dihydrofurans was developed. The reaction outcome is attributed to the transformation of methlenecyclopropane, which is incorporated into a five-membered ring as a one-carbon fragment.     

Chiral amines as reagents for HPLC-MS enantioseparation of chiral carboxylic acids

Mass spectrometry (MS) has become a popular analytical technique because of its high sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, the use of a chiral derivatization reagent for the MS detection seems to be efficient for the enantiomeric separation of racemates. However, the number of chiral reagents for the liquid chromatography (LC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis is very limited. The applicability of commercially available chiral amines as the derivatization reagents for the enantiomeric separation of chiral carboxylic acids is reported in this paper by using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), i.e. ibuprofen, flurbiprofen, and loxoprofen. The efficiency of the chiral reagents was evaluated in terms of tagging easiness, separation by reversed-phase chromatography, and detection sensitivity by electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS/MS. Among the tested eight chiral amines, i.e. (R)-(+)-4-(3-aminopyrrolidin-1-yl)-7-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-APy), (S)-(+)-1-(2-pyrrolidinylmethyl)-pyrrolidine (PMP), L-prolinamide, (3R)-(-)-1-benzyl-3-aminopyrrolidine, (S)-(+)-1-cyclohexyl-ethylamine, (3R)-(+)-3-(trifluoroacetamido)-pyrrolidine (TFAP), (R)-(-)-1-aminoindan (AI), and (S)-(+)-tetrahydrofurfuryl-amine, DBD-APy, PMP, AI, and TFAP could be used as the chiral reagents for the enantiomeric separation of the NSAIDs. The Rs values and the detection limits of the derivatives were in the range of 1.29-3.85 and 0.57-0.96 fmol, respectively. These four reagents were applied for the determination of the NSAIDs in rat plasma.     

Detection of cellular damage by hydrogen peroxide using SV40-T2 cells on shear horizontal surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) sensor

The rat lung epithelial cell line SV40-T2 was used to develop a cellular biosensing system to assay for environmental toxicants. The novel approach on which this system is based involves direct attachment of cultured rat or human cells onto a cell-adhesive matrix on the device through which shear horizontal surface acoustic waves (SH-SAW) are transmitted using 50 MHz SAW resonator. This novel design enables sensitive monitoring of changes of the electrophysical characteristics of cells, such as their conductivity and relative permittivity. A time-dependent change of phase of SAW and change of insertion loss (change of amplitude) were observed when the cells were treated with 0.5 or 1.0 mM H₂O₂. The change of insertion loss was biphasic, with an early phase (1–3 h) and a late phase (3–6 h). The late phase coincided with the destruction of cell–cell tight junctions detected by measurement of the transepithelial electrical resistance and paracellular permeability; in contrast, the early phase coincided with the destruction of intracellular actin filaments by H₂O₂. The early-phase effect of H₂O₂ on phase shift may be attributable to the change of intracellular permittivity by a change of cellular polarity. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed the disappearance of zonula occludens protein 1 from the region of cell–cell contact. These results suggest the correlation between the change of insertion loss as an SAW parameter and the destruction of tight junctions of the cells on the SH-SAW device in the late phase.     

Relation between monocytes in peripheral blood and development of atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

The relation among circulating monocytes, serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in manifestation of atherosclerosis was investigated in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Serum cholesterol increased sharply and reached a plateau at 12 weeks after the start of cholesterol diet feeding; LDL cholesterol gradually increased until 24 weeks, and the number of monocytes in blood started to decrease abruptly around 12 weeks and resulted in less than 1% total white blood cells at 24 weeks, as reflected by a severe progression of atheroma formation. This result indicated that the decrement of monocyte number in blood was predictive of the presence of severe atherosclerotic plaques.     

Three new naphthoquinone derivatives from Diospyros maritima Blume

Three new naphthoquinone derivatives, 6-(1-ethoxyethyl)plumbagin (16), ethylidene-3,3'-biplumbagin (17), and ethylidene-3,6'-biplumbagin (18), were isolated, in addition to six known naphthoquinones, isozeylanone (10), 3,3'-biplumbagin (11), chitranone (12), methylene-3,3'-biplumbagin (13), 2,3-epoxyplumbagin (14), and 3,8'-biplumbagin (15), from the fruits of Diospyros maritima Blume (Ebenaceae). The structures of the new compounds were established by spectroscopic methods. The eight naphthoquinones 11-18 were examined for ichthyotoxic activity and germination inhibitory activity. The quinones 11, 12, and 14-16 showed strong ichthyotoxic activity and the quinone 14 mild germination inhibitory activity.     

A Ferromagnetic Interaction between Cu(2+) Centers through a [CrO(4)](2-) Bridge: Crystal Structures and Magnetic Properties of [{Cu(acpa)}(2)(&mgr;-MO(4))] (M = Cr, Mo) (Hacpa = N-(1-Acetyl-2-propyridene)(2-pyridylmethyl)amine)

The reaction of [Cu(acpa)](+) with [MO(4)](2)(-) (Hacpa = N-(1-acetyl-2-propyridene)(2-pyridylmethyl)amine and M = Cr and Mo) in water-methanol or water-acetonitrile solution affords dinuclear copper(II) complexes with metalate bridges, [{Cu(acpa)}(2)(&mgr;-CrO(4))].4CH(3)OH.4H(2)O (1) and [{Cu(acpa)}(2)(&mgr;-MoO(4))].4H(2)O (2), respectively. The crystal structures and the magnetic properties have been studied. Complexes 1 and 2 are isomorphous and the structures are made up of discrete dimers in which two copper(II) ions are bridged by the [MO(4)](2)(-) anion. The coordination geometry about the copper(II) ions is square planar with a N(2)O chelate group from acpa and an oxygen atom from [MO(4)](2)(-). Magnetic susceptibility measurements for 1 revealed that a ferromagnetic interaction between copper(II) ions is propagated through the [CrO(4)](2)(-) bridge and the coupling constant (2J) was evaluated to be 14.6(1) cm(-)(1) (H = -2JS(1).S(2)). In 2, two copper(II) ions bridged by [MoO(4)](2)(-) anion are antiferromagnetically coupled with the 2J value of -5.1(4) cm(-)(1). The ferromagnetic interaction in 1 is explained by means of the orbital topology of frontier orbitals. Crystal data: 1, monoclinic, space group P2(1)/m, a = 8.349(2) ?, b = 17.616(3) ?, c = 10.473 ?, beta = 107.40(2) degrees, Z= 2; 2, monoclinic, space group P2(1)/m, a = 8.486(2) ?, b = 18.043(3) ?, c = 9.753(2) ?, beta = 95.82(2) degrees, Z = 2.     

Rational principles for modulating fluorescence properties of fluorescein

Rational design strategies based on practical fluorescence modulation mechanisms would enable us to rapidly develop novel fluorescence probes for target molecules. Here, we present a practical and general principle for modulating the fluorescence properties of fluorescein. We hypothesized that (a) the fluorescein molecule can be divided into two moieties, i.e., the xanthene moiety as a fluorophore and the benzene moiety as a fluorescence-controlling moiety, even though there is no obvious linker structure between them, and (b) the fluorescence properties can be modulated via a photoinduced electron transfer (PeT) process from the excited fluorophore to a reducible benzene moiety (donor-excited PeT; d-PeT). To evaluate the relationship between the reduction potential of the benzene moiety and the fluorescence properties, we designed and synthesized various derivatives in which the reduction potential of the benzene moiety was fine tuned by introducing electron-withdrawing groups onto the benzene moiety. Our results clearly show that the fluorescence properties of fluorescein derivatives were indeed finely modulated depending upon the reduction potential of the benzene moiety. This information provides a basis for a practical strategy for rational design of novel functional fluorescence probes.