Vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cell culture on NaOH-treated poly(epsilon-caprolactone) films: a preliminary study for vascular graft development

Tissue engineering offers the potential of providing vessels that can be used to replace diseased and damaged native blood vessels. The endothelization of a synthetic vascular graft minimizes the failures associated with blood clotting and platelet activation. The aim of this study was to culture vascular-derived endothelial and smooth muscle cells on both untreated and NaOH-treated poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) films, a biocompatible and bio-resorbable polymer, and to evaluate the behavior of both cell types as a preliminary study for vascular graft development. PCL films were prepared by hot pressing; characterized by DSC, IR, SEM, and scanning force microscopy; and treated with NaOH to increase the surface hydrophilicity before cell culture. Endothelial and smooth muscle cells, isolated from pig cava vein, were characterized by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy studies of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and alpha-smooth muscle actin. Good adhesion, growth, viability and morphology of both the endothelial and smooth muscle cells on PCL films were obtained, but a light stimulation of mitochondrial activity was observed during short culture times. NaOH treatment improved the adhesion and enhanced the proliferation in both cell types. This verified the possible use of this modified polymer as a support in the preparation of a synthetic vascular graft. [Diagram: see text] SEM micrograph of smooth muscle cells cultured on NaOH-treated PCL film. (Original magnification: 1000x).     

Study of the feasibility of focused microwave-assisted soxhlet extraction of N-methylcarbamates from soil

A fast microwave-assisted dansylation procedure has been developed for the derivatization of N-nitrosamines prior to high-performance liquid chromatography determination. N-Nitrosomorpholine, N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosodiethylamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine and N-nitrosopiperidine are first denitrosated by hydrobromic acid-acetic acid to produce secondary amines, which are then quantitatively dansylated in 5 min using radiation power of 378 W and a maximum pressure of 1.4 bar inside the reactor. The reaction mixture is separated on a C18 column with acetonitrile-water (55:45, v/v) as mobile phase with fluorimetric detection at 531 nm (excitation at 339 nm). The detection limits range from 8 to 75 pg for N-nitrosomorpholine and N-nitrosodiethylamine, respectively. The method was applied to study the recoveries of N-nitrosamines in beer and their determination in cigarette smoke.     

Monolayers as models for supported catalysts: zirconium phosphonate films containing manganese(III) porphyrins

Organized monolayer films of a manganese tetraphenylporphyrin have been prepared and used as supported oxidation catalysts. Manganese 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(tetrafluorophenyl-4'-octadecyloxyphosphonic acid) porphyrin (1) has been immobilized as a monolayer film by a combination of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) and self-assembled monolayer techniques that use zirconium phosphonate linkages to bind the molecule to the surface. Analysis by FTIR, XPS, UV-vis and polarized optical spectroscopy show that the films consist of noninteracting molecules effectively anchored and oriented nearly parallel to the surface. The monolayer films are stable to the solvent and temperature conditions needed to explore organic oxidations. The activity of films of 1 toward the epoxidation of cyclooctene using iodosylbenzene as the oxidant was compared to that of Manganese 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl) porphyrin (2) and 1 under equivalent homogeneous conditions. The immobilized porphyrin 1 shows an enhanced activity relative to either homogeneous reaction. The main difference between 1 and 2 is the four alkyl phosphonate arms in 1 designed to incorporate the porphyrin within the films. The increased activity of immobilized 1 is a combination of the porphyrin structure, which prohibits the formation of mu-oxo dimers even in solution, and a change in conformation when anchored to the surface. The study demonstrates that careful monolayer studies can provide useful models for the design and study of supported molecular catalyst systems.     

Reaction of allylsilanes and allylstannanes with alkynes catalyzed by electrophilic late transition metal chlorides

The intramolecular reaction of allylsilanes and allylstannanes with alkynes proceeds catalytically in the presence of Pt(II), Pd(II), Ru(II), and Au(III) chlorides. Although more limited, AgOTf also catalyzes the cyclization. Usually, PtCl2 as the catalyst in methanol or acetone gives the best results. The reaction proceeds by exo attack of the allyl nucleophile on the alkyne to form five- or six-membered ring carbocycles. The reaction generally proceeds with anti stereoselectivity. However, a terminally substituted trimethylsilyl derivative reacts by a syn-type addition. The intermediate alkenylpalladium complex has been trapped with allyl chloride to form an allylated derivative with an additional carbon-carbon bond.     

Capillary zone electrophoretic separation and determination of imidazolic antifungal drugs

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was adapted to the simultaneous determination of a mixture of three imidazolic antifungal drugs. Separation was achieved by using a fused-silica capillary column with an acetic acid-Tris buffer at pH 5.18 and UV detection at 196 nm. Several electrophoretic parameters were investigated: pH and buffer concentration, applied voltage, temperature and injection conditions. The optimized CZE method was applied to the individual determination of ketoconazole, clotrimazole and econazole in pharmaceutical forms, after a previous single extraction step in methanol, with recoveries of 98.00, 99.96 and 99.58% respectively. The antifungal drugs can be determined at a concentration level lower than 1.0 x 10(-7) M.     

The oxidation of organic substances with compounds of trivalent manganese: XXII. The oxidation of glyceraldehyde with manganese(III) sulfate

The oxidation of glyceraldehyde with manganese(III) sulfate was studied. The reaction stoichiometry was found and a procedure for an indirect determination of 5–17 mg of the test substance has been proposed. The recommended procedure is based on the oxidation of glyceraldehyde with the reagent, the excess of which is back-titrated with standard solution of ferrous sulfate.     

Environmental UV‐A and UV‐B Threshold Doses for Apoptosis and Necrosis in Humans Fibroblasts¶

Apoptosis involves a highly organized and programmed series of events aimed at maintaining genomic stability by eliminating defective host cells. The purpose of this study was to determine the threshold doses and environmental UV‐A and UV‐B exposure times necessary to produce apoptosis and necrosis in the normal cells of a human fibroblast cell line. Enviromental UV‐A and UV‐B doses were measured over a 6 year period with a four‐channel UV radiometer. The fibroblasts were irradiated once using an Oriel UV Solar Simulator with six doses of environmentally‐based UV. Doses corresponded to 0,11,19,23 and 45 min of average environmental UV‐A and UV‐B radiation at solar noon in Puerto Rico. The Annexin‐V binding method was used to differentiate between normal fibroblasts and apoptotic or necrotic fibroblasts. The threshold dose from apoptosis to necrosis was found between 24–28 kJ/m², which corresponded to 19 and 23 min of environmental UV‐A and UV‐B exposure. This study provides the first data that specify the environmental threshold doses of UV‐A and UV‐B at which human fibroblasts undergo apoptosis and necrosis. These results may provide valuable dose‐response thresholds for apoptosis and necrosis for future mechanistic studies and baseline data for skin cancer prevention programs.     

Structural Determination of Bis-histidinopeptide Zinc Complexes by 15N NMR (HMBC) Spectra

Polynitrogen receptors such as bis-histidine peptides possess strong ability to bind metals, which play much important roles in medicinal, bioinorganic, bioorganic, biomimetic and supramolecular chemistry. In order to investigate the interaction of these hosts with a variety of neutral, cationic and anionic guests, several techniques, for example, NMR,potentiometric tirations and monocrystal X-ray diffraction have been employed. Among them NMR is a powerful technique for unraveling the structure of polynitrogen receptors as long as they are in solution where the rapid tumbling of molecules averages out the anisotropies such as chemical shift and dipole-dipole interactions. General 1H NMR approach has been widely used for the study of host-guest interaction, but it is difficult for the accurate measurement in complexes structures, particularly metal complexes structures in which how the polynitrogen receptors bind metal, and which nitrogen binds metal and so on.     

Benzo[d]-1,2-oxaphospholes as precursors of stabilized C-centered radicals

[reaction: see text] Several benzo[d]-1,2-oxaphosphole 2-oxides were examined as potential precursors of stabilized C-centered radicals. The transient absorption spectra obtained after laser flash photolysis in the presence of di-tert-butyl peroxide showed the features of benzylic radicals with formation and decay kinetics not significantly influenced by the presence of oxygen. In the case of compounds with two possible diastereomeric forms, the C-H bond of the trans-isomers [corrected] is more reactive toward hydrogen abstraction.     

Solvent Effects on the Absorption Spectrum of the Product and the Equilibrium Constant for the Proton Transfer Reaction from 1-Phenacylquinolinium Bromide to Amines

The equilibrium constants, K ₂, have been determined for the proton-transfer reactions of 1-phenacylquinolinium ion, PHQ⁺, with several amines {triethylamine (TEA), N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (ED), N,N,N′, N′-tetramethylpropanediamine (PD), N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylbutanediamine (BD), and 1,8-bis(dimethylamino-naphthalene (DMAN)} in acetonitrile (AN), AN-tetrahydrofuran (THF) and AN-ethanol (EtOH) mixtures. The reaction was followed spectrophotometrically using a stopped-flow technique. The K ₂ value decreased for DMAN and increased for TEA with increasing vol-% of THF in AN-THF mixtures. The changes in the K ₂ value for ED, PD and BD changed in the order: ED, PD and BD from a pattern similar to TEA to a pattern similar to DMAN. The change in the K ₂ value for DMAN with increasing vol-% of THF in AN-THF mixtures was explained by the effect of polarity on the stability of P⁻Q⁺ (the deprotonated product of PHQ⁺). The effect of THF on the K ₂ value is consistent with that of the peak wavelength of the absorption spectrum of P⁻Q⁺. The change in the K ₂ value for TEA, ED, PD and BD depended on the structures of the protonated bases, one of the products for this reaction. The effect of EtOH on the K ₂ value for DMAN was examined in ternary EtOH-THF-AN mixtures that contain different amounts of EtOH and whose relative permittivities were adjusted to that of EtOH. The K ₂ value increased with increasing vol-% of EtOH because of the stabilization of P⁻Q⁺ upon the formation of the hydrogen-bonded complex with EtOH. The absorption spectrum of P⁻Q⁺ demonstrated a blue shift as the vol-% of EtOH increased.