ParaHydrogen Polarized Ethyl-[1-13C]pyruvate in Water,a Key Substrate for Fostering the PHIP-SAH Approach to Metabolic Imaging

An efficient synthesis of vinyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate has been reported, from which ¹³C hyperpolarized (HP) ethyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate has been obtained by means of ParaHydrogen Induced Polarization (PHIP). Due to the intrinsic lability of pyruvate, which leads quickly to degradation of the reaction mixture even under mild reaction conditions, the vinyl-ester has been synthesized through the intermediacy of a more stable ketal derivative. ¹³C and ¹H hyperpolarizations of ethyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate, hydrogenated using ParaHydrogen, have been compared to those observed on the more widely used allyl-derivative. It has been demonstrated that the spin order transfer from ParaHydrogen protons to ¹³C, is more efficient on the ethyl than on the allyl-esterdue to the larger J-couplings involved. The main requirements needed for the biological application of this HP product have been met, i. e. an aqueous solution of the product at high concentration (40 mM) with a good ¹³C polarization level (4.8 %) has been obtained. The in vitro metabolic transformation of the HP ethyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate, catalyzed by an esterase, has been observed. This substrate appears to be a good candidate for in vivo metabolic investigations using PHIP hyperpolarized probes.     

Dendrimeric Gd(III) complex of a monophosphinated DOTA analogue: optimizing relaxivity by reducing internal motion

A marked increase of relaxivity has been observed upon rigidifying the internal frame of Gd-containing PAMAM dendrimers: the effect has been attained by either protonation of the dendrimer or by forming supramolecular adducts with cationic polyaminoacids.     

Heterodinuclear Ln[bond]Na complexes with an asymmetrical macrocyclic compartmental Schiff base

Heterodinuclear lanthanide(III)-sodium(I) complexes [LnNa(L)(Cl)(2)(CH(3)OH)] (Ln=La[bond]Nd, Sm[bond]Lu), where H(2)L is a [1+1] asymmetric compartmental macrocyclic ligand containing a N(3)O(2) Schiff base and a O(3)O(2) crown-ether-like coordination site, have been prepared and characterized by IR, (1)H, (13)C, and (23)Na NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and electron microscopy. In the solid state, the lanthanide(III) ions coordinate the Schiff-base N(3)O(2) site, and the sodium ion occupies the O(3)O(2) crownlike cavity, as shown by the X-ray crystal structures of the Nd, Eu, Gd, and Yb derivatives. In these complexes, the lanthanide(III) ion is coordinated by two chlorine atoms in the trans position and by three nitrogen and two negatively charged phenol oxygen atoms of the Schiff base, and the ion is heptacoordinated with a pentagonal bipyramidal geometry. The sodium ion is coordinated by three etheric oxygen atoms and the two phenolic oxygens that act as a bridge. A methanol molecule is also coordinated in the apical position of the resulting pentagonal pyramidal polyhedron. A detailed (1)H and (13)C NMR study was carried out in CD(3)OD for both diamagnetic and paramagnetic heterodinuclear complexes [LnNa(L)(Cl)(2)(CH(3)OH)]. The complexes are also isostructural in solution, and their structures parallel those found in the solid state. Moreover, some significative distances determined in the solid state and in solution are comparable. Finally, the potential use of these complexes as molecular probes for the selective recognition of specific metal ions has been tested. In particular, their ability to act as shift reagents and the selectivity of the O(3)O(2) site towards Li(+), Ca(2+), and K(+) were investigated by (23)Na NMR spectroscopy.     

Supramolecular adducts between macrocyclic Gd(iii) complexes and polyaromatic systems: a route to enhance the relaxivity through the formation of hydrophobic interactions

The set-up of reversible binding interactions between the hydrophobic region of macrocyclic GBCAs (Gadolinium Based Contrast Agents) and SO₃⁻/OH containing pyrene derivatives provides new insights for pursuing relaxivity enhancements of this class of MRI contrast agents. The strong binding affinity allows attaining relaxation enhancements up to 50% at pyrene/GBCA ratios of 3 : 1. High resolution NMR spectra of the Yb-HPDO3A/pyrene system fully support the formation of a supramolecular adduct based on the set-up of hydrophobic interactions. The relaxation enhancement may be accounted for in terms of the increase of the molecular reorientation time (τ_R) and the number of second sphere water molecules. This effect is maintained in blood serum and in vivo, as shown by the enhancement of contrast in T_1w-MR images obtained by simultaneous injection of GBCA and pyrene derivatives in mice.

The set-up of reversible binding interactions between the hydrophobic region of macrocyclic gadolinium based contrast agents and SO₃⁻/OH containing pyrene derivatives provides new insights for pursuing relaxivity enhancement of MRI contrast agents.     

Gadolinium(III) Complexes of dota‐Derived N‐Sulfonylacetamides (H4(dota‐NHSO2R)=10‐{2‐[(R)sulfonylamino]‐2‐oxoethyl}‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7‐triacetic Acid): A New Class of Relaxation Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Applications

Four new ligands for lanthanide ions based on the H₃do3a (=1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7‐triacetic acid) structure and bearing one N‐sulfonylacetamide arm were synthesized, i.e., H₄dota‐NHSO₂R=10‐{2‐[(R)sulfonylamino]‐2‐oxoethyl}‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7‐triacetic acids 1a – e . A ¹⁵N‐NMR study of the ¹⁵N‐labelled Eu³⁺ complex of one such ligands, 1d , showed that the coordination of the N‐sulfonylacetamide arm involves the carbonyl O‐atom rather than the N‐atom. The relaxometric properties of the corresponding Gd³⁺ complexes were investigated as a function of pH and temperature. These complexes have relaxivities in the range 4.5–5.3 mM ^?1 s^?1, at 20 MHz and 25°, and are characterized by a single H₂O molecule in their inner coordination sphere. The mean residence lifetime of this molecule is relatively long (500–700 ns) compared to other anionic complexes. The slow rate of H₂O exchange can be justified by the extensive delocalization of the negative charge on the N‐sulfonylacetamide arm. The long residence time of the coordinated H₂O allowed the observation of the effect of the prototropic exchange on the relaxivity. The study of the interaction between the complex [Gd( 1e )]‐ and HSA revealed a weak affinity constant highlighting the importance of a localized negative charge on the complex to promote a strong interaction with the protein.     

Structural variations across the lanthanide series of macrocyclic DOTA complexes: insights into the design of contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging

It was early shown that the macrocyclic Ln(DOTA) complexes (DOTA = 1,4,7,10-tetra-azacyclododecane-N,N',N' ',N' "-tetraacetic acid) exists in solution as a mixture of two enantiomeric pairs of diastereoisomers differing in the ligand conformation, namely, square antiprismatic (SA) and twisted square antiprismatic (TSA) geometries, respectively. Later, extensive (1)H NMR investigations suggested that a coordination change may be superimposed on this conformational equilibrium involving two additional structures in which the metal ion possesses a coordination number of eight (CN 8). It was predicted that these two species, lacking the apical coordinated water molecule, would maintain the SA and TSA coordination geometries, and therefore, they have been labeled as SA' and TSA', respectively. In this work we report the X-ray solid-state crystal structure determination of six Ln(DOTA) complexes representative of all four coordination geometry typologies deduced from NMR solution studies. A distinctive structural feature that discriminates SA (and SA') and TSA (and TSA') structures is represented by the twist angle between the two square planes of the antiprism, the basal four nitrogen, and the apical four oxygen planes. [Ce(DOTA)(H(2)O)](-) displays a TSA structural typology with a twist angle of 25 degrees and a Ce-O(water) distance of 2.59 A. The SA-type structure has been found in the case of complexes with Pr(III), Nd(III), and Dy(III), where the twist angle is 39, 39, and 38 degrees, respectively, and the metal-water oxygen distance varies significantly (Pr-O(w) 2.529 A; Nd-O(w) 2.508 A; and Dy-O(w) 2.474 A). [Tm(DOTA)](-) displays a TSA'-type structure with a twist angle of 24 degrees. As compared with the TSA structure of the corresponding Ce(III) complex, the Tm(III) complex shows an overall marked shrinkage of all metal-nitrogen and metal-oxygen distances (ca. 0.2 A), which reflects the contraction of the metal ionic radius across the series but also the effect associated with the decrease of the CN from 9 to 8. In [Sc(DOTA)](-), the even smaller ionic radius of Sc(III) shifts the geometry of the coordination cage to the more compact SA' typology with a twist angle of 41 degrees, a value very similar to that found in the SA structures of lanthanide(III) ions with CN 9. Finally, an investigation was made into the hydration spheres of the complexes with SA and TSA geometries to account for the experimental evidence of a markedly different rate of water exchange for the two isomeric structures. This is of fundamental importance to the understanding of the corresponding Gd(III) complexes as MRI contrast agents.     

Modifying LnHPDO3A Chelates for Improved T1 and CEST MRI Applications

The new ligand HPDO3MA [(R,R,R,R)-10-(2-hydroxypropyl)-α,α′,α′′-trimethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid] was designed to combine and optimize the chemical properties of the macrocyclic ligands HPDO3A and DOTMA. The presence of the methyl groups on the acetic pendant arms of HPDO3A is expected to rigidify the structure of the ligand and favor an increase of the kinetic inertness of the Ln complexes. ¹H NMR spectra of Eu(HPDO3MA) displayed the presence of two pairs of diastereoisomers: SAP (square antiprismatic) and TSAP (twisted square antiprismatic) isomers (56 and 44 %, respectively). In addition, ¹H and ¹⁷O relaxometric NMR studies of Gd(HPDO3MA) showed approximately a 10 % increase in relaxivity and a faster water exchange rate with respect to Gd(HPDO3A). Moreover, a detailed chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) characterization of Yb(HPDO3MA) displayed a sensitivity about two times larger than that of Yb(HPDO3A) both in phantom and in cell labeling experiments. Finally, the kinetic inertness of Yb(HPDO3MA) was measured to be twice as high as that of Yb(HPDO3A), with a dissociation half-life at physiological pH of about 2500 years.     

Quantification of L‐ergothioneine in whole blood by hydrophilic interaction ultra‐performance liquid chromatography and UV‐detection

A new hydrophilic interaction ultra‐performance LC method was established for the whole blood measurement of L‐ergothioneine. Chromatographic separation was achieved in a fairly short time, less than 4 min, on a 100 × 2.1 mm Acquity UPLC BEH HILIC 1.7 μm column with a mobile phase consisting of a mixture of 100 mmol/L ammonium acetate/ACN/water (5:85:10, v/v/v) that flowed isocratically at 0.250 mL/min. The LOD and the limit of quantification were 3.85 and 11.67 μmol/L, respectively. The method exhibited linearity in a concentration range of 15.63–1000 μmol/L (R² > 0.999). Mean recovery was 96.34% whereas intraassay and interassay precision were 1.52 and 1.82% RSD, respectively. On the whole, the developed method is simple, fast, precise, accurate, and sensitive and may be useful for routine analyses.     

Design and Synthesis of a γ1β8‐Cyclodextrin Oligomer: A New Platform with Potential Application as a Dendrimeric Multicarrier

We report the synthesis and characterization of a water‐soluble, star‐shaped macromolecular platform consisting of eight β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) units anchored to the narrower rim of a γ‐CD core through bis(triazolyl)alkyl spacers. The efficient synthetic protocol is based on the microwave (MW)‐promoted Cu‐catalyzed 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of CD monoazides to CD monoacetylenes. The ligand‐hosting capability of the construct has been assessed by relaxometric titration and nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion (NMRD) profiling, which showed it to be good, and this was supported by molecular dynamics simulations. To demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining supramolecular structures with high hosting ability, we designed a dimeric platform, formed by joining two nonamers through the γ‐CD cores through a bis(lithocholic acid) linker. With a view to the potential biological applications, cytotoxicity and extent of binding to human serum albumin were assessed. The properties of this dendrimeric multicarrier make it suitable for pharmaceutical and diagnostic purposes, ranging from targeted drug delivery to molecular imaging.