Aortic elastin fluorescence afterin vivo labeling with Congo red

Congo red (CR) is an azo dye which not only preferentially binds to elastin, an extracellular matrix protein found in the media of arterial vessel walls, but also fluoresces when it binds to this protein. Protein solubilization data following laser irradiation of elastin:CR suspensions determined that the amount of elastin solubilized by laser irradiation increased with the increase in CR. The saturation point of CR to elastin was attained when 400 g CR was added to 20 mg elastin suspension. When 20 ml of a 5% CR solution in 5% dextrose was administered intravenously, the CR was absorbed in levels sufficient to produce fluorescence of the main arteries in rabbits. Layers of tissue both in the media of the vessels and at the endothelial/intimal interface were clearly differentiated. Therefore, the elastin:CR complex appears to be an ideal system in which the elastin fluorescence could aid in distinguishing between normal and diseased tissue in certain pathological conditions, such as atherosclerosis and some types of breast tumors.     

Controlled synthesis and magnetic properties of 2D and 3D iron azide networks infinity2[Fe(N3)2(4,4'-bpy)] and infinity3[Fe(N3)2(4,4'-bpy)

Controlled synthesis of transition metal complexes with mixed ligands has led to two new compounds with the same empirical formula [Fe(N3)2(4,4'-bpy)] (4,4'-bpy=4,4'- bipyridine). The compound 2D-[Fe(N3)2(4,4'-bpy)] (I) contains end-on (EO) bridging azido ligands. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system, space group Cmmm (No. 65): a=11.444(2) A, b=15.181(3) A, c=3.458(1) A, V=600.8(2) A(3), and Z=2. The compound 3D-[Fe(N3)2(4,4'-bpy)] (II) contains end-to-end (EE) azido bridges. It belongs to the tetragonal crystal system, space group P4(1)2(1)2 (No. 92): a=8.132(1) A, b=8.132(1) A, c=16.708(3) A, V=1104.9(5) A(3), and Z=4. Crystals of I and II have been grown by the diffusion method. Phase-pure samples of both compounds have been obtained by means of an optimal solution synthesis. Spontaneous long-range magnetic ordering was found in both I and II, with I being a metamagnet, and II being a ferromagnet. For I, in the low-field region, multiple transitions at TN1=20 K and TN2=5 K were observed, and these indicated the existence of Fe moment reorientation. Heat capacity measurements on II confirmed ferromagnetic transition at TC=20 K.     

Amplified quenching of a conjugated polyelectrolyte by cyanine dyes

The conjugated polyelectrolyte PPESO3 features a poly(phenylene ethynylene) backbone substituted with anionic 3-sulfonatopropyloxy groups. PPESO3 is quenched very efficiently (KSV > 10(6) M(-1)) by cationic energy transfer quenchers in an amplified quenching process. In the present investigation, steady-state and picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy are used to examine amplified quenching of PPESO3 by a series of cyanine dyes via singlet-singlet energy transfer. The goal of this work is to understand the mechanism of amplified quenching and to characterize important parameters that govern the amplification process. Steady-state fluorescence quenching of PPESO3 by three cationic oxacarbocyanine dyes in methanol solution shows that the quenching efficiency does not correlate with the Forster radius computed from spectral overlap of the PPESO3 fluorescence with the cyanines' absorption. The quenching efficiency is controlled by the stability of the polymer-dye association complex. When quenching studies are carried out in water where PPESO3 is aggregated, changes observed in the absorption and fluorescence spectra of 1,1',3,3,3',3'-hexamethylindotricarbocyanine iodide (HMIDC) indicate that the polymer templates the formation of a J-aggregate of the dye. The fluorescence dynamics in the PPESO3/HMIDC system were probed by time-resolved upconversion and the results show that PPESO3 to HMIDC energy transfer occurs on two distinctive time scales. At low HMIDC concentration, the dynamics are dominated by an energy transfer pathway with a time scale faster than 4 ps. With increasing HMIDC concentration, an energy pathway with a time scale of 0.1-1 ns is active. The prompt pathway (tau < 4 ps) is attributed to quenching of delocalized PPESO3 excitons created near the HMIDC association site, whereas the slow phase is attributed to intra- and interchain exciton diffusion to the HMIDC.     

Effects of temperature and sodium carboxylate additives on mineralization of calcium oxalate in silica gel systems

Urolithiasis remains a major medical problem in China, especially in Guangdong Province in the southest of China[1]. A survey in Shenzhen city, the most southern city in China, showed the incidence of renal calculus was 4.87%, being 6.12% in the males and 4.07% in the females[2]. The prevalence of renal calculus has been more as the age advances and in the male population and so was in the less-educated population. The recurrence rate is more than 80%, with a moderate improvement by conventi…     

Detection of DNA adducts of benzo[a]pyrene using immunoelectrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence. Analysis of A549 cells

Detection of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE)-damaged DNA in a human lung carcinoma cell line (A549) has been performed using free zone affinity capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). Using BPDE as a model carcinogenic compound, the speed, sensitivity and specificity of this technique was demonstrated. Under free zone conditions, an antibody bound adduct was baseline-resolved from an unbound adduct in less than 2 min. The efficiencies of separation were in excess of 6 x 10(5) and 1 x 10(6) plates per meter for the antibody-bound and unbound adducts, respectively. Separation using a low ionic strength buffer permitted the use of a high electric field (830 V/cm) without the loss of resolving power. Using LIF detection, a concentration detection limit of roughly 3 x 10(-10) M was achieved for a 90-mer oligonuleotide containing a single BDPE. The use of formamide in the incubation buffer to enhance denaturing of DNA did not affect the stability of the complex between the antibody and the adducts. Using a fluorescently labeled BPDE-modified DNA adduct probe, a competitive assay was established to determine the levels of BPDE-DNA adducts in A549 cells.     

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of 2,6-bis（6-aryl-[1,2,4]- triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]-thiadiazole-3-yl）pyridines

By the condensation of 2,6-bis（4-amino-5-mercapto-[1,2,4]-triazoles-2）pyridine with aromatic acid in the presence of phosphorus oxychloride. Compounds of 2,6-bis（6-aryl-[1,2,4]-triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]-thiadiazole-3-yl）pyridines were synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by IR, ^1H NMR spectroscopies and elemental analysis. Their electrochemical behavior and cyclic voltammogram also were be studied. The results showed that they have high ionization potentials and good affinity.     

Calculation of dye-dye and dye-AgX surface interaction energies

The computation of the interaction energy between an adsorbed dye molecule and the silver halide surface has been accomplished through the use of a new code which is based upon CHEMLAB. The surface interaction energies have been computed for 1,1′-ethylene-2,2′-cyanine, a dye molecule, in both monomeric and aggregated configurations on the (100) surfaces of AgBr and AgCl. The model predicts reasonable configurations for the adsorbed dye monomer and its H- and B-aggregates. At high dye levels, the adsorption of aggregated forms is found to be favored over an adsorbed monolayer of monomeric dye molecules. Using the current interaction potentials, however, it was found that the adsorption of the dye on the AgCl (100) surface was slightly favored over that on the AgBr (100) surface. This finding, although at variance with experimental data, may be attributed to the use of an unrelaxed silver halide surface in these computations.     

Activity difference between alpha-COOH and beta-COOH in N-phosphorylaspartic acids

N-phosphorylamino acids are chemically active species that have many biomimic activities. alpha-COOH in amino acids and peptides behaviors rather differently than beta-COOH in many biochemical processes and takes a more important role in the origin of life. Activity differences between alpha-COOH and beta-COOH in the peptide formation of phosphoryl amino acids are studied by 1D, 2D NMR techniques and by ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) calculations in this paper. Phosphoryl dipeptide is formed directly from phosphoryl aspartic acids without any coupling reagents. Only the alpha-dipeptide ester is observed by 1D (1)H, (13)C, and (31)P NMR and 2D NMR. In the ab initio and DFT calculations, the pentacoordinate phosphorane intermediates containing five-membered rings are predicted to be more favored than those with six-membered rings. Both the experimental results and the theoretical calculations suggest that only the alpha-COOH group is activated by N-phosphorylation in N-phosphorylaspartic acid under mild conditions.