Incorporation of Baccharis dracunculifolia DC (Asteraceae) leaf extract into phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol liposomes improves its anti-inflammatory effect in vivo

The aerial parts of Baccharis dracunculifolia (BdE) is used in the Brazilian folk medicine to treat inflammatory conditions. Here we examined the ability of free and liposomal BdE to modulate reactive oxygen species generation in human neutrophils in vitro and zymosan-induced acute joint inflammation in Wistar rats. We prepared biocompatible liposomes of soya phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol with low diameter, homogeneous size distribution, and neutral surface charge. Free BdE decreased joint swelling, total leucocyte and neutrophil infiltration, and the synovial levels of tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukins 6 and 1β. Incorporation of BdE into liposomes preserved its capacity to inhibit the neutrophil superoxide anion and total reactive oxygen species generation, and improved its anti-inflammatory effect in vivo by decreasing the effective BdE dose by nearly sixfold. The same liposome type lowered the effective dose of caffeic acid by nearly sixteenfold. Therefore, incorporation of BdE into phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol liposomes improves its anti-inflammatory effect.     

Berry phase in the gravitational quantum well and the Seiberg-Witten map

We explicitly compute the geometrical Berry phase for the noncommutative gravitational quantum well for different SW maps. We find that they lead to different partial contributions to the Berry phase. For the most general map we obtain that Δγ(S)∼η³, in a segment S of the path in the configuration space where is the fundamental momentum scale for the noncommutative gravitational quantum well. For the full closed path, we find, through an explicit computation, that γ(C)=0. This result is consistent with the fact that physical properties are independent of the SW map and shows that these maps do not introduce degeneracies or level crossing in the noncommutative extensions of the gravitational quantum well.     

C*-Algebras of Singular Integral Operators with Shifts Having the Same Nonempty Set of Fixed Points

The C*-subalgebra of generated by all multiplication operators by slowly oscillating and piecewise continuous functions, by the Cauchy singular integral operator and by the range of a unitary representation of an amenable group of diffeomorphisms with any nonempty set of common fixed points is studied. A symbol calculus for the C*-algebra and a Fredholm criterion for its elements are obtained. For the C*-algebra composed by all functional operators in , an invertibility criterion for its elements is also established. Both the C*-algebras and are investigated by using a generalization of the local-trajectory method for C*-algebras associated with C*-dynamical systems which is based on the notion of spectral measure. Submitted: April 30, 2007. Accepted: November 5, 2007.     

Inflammatory responses of a human keratinocyte cell line to 10 nm citrate- and PEG-coated silver nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are among the most commonly used engineered NPs and various commercially available products are designed to come in direct contact with the skin (wound dressings, textiles, creams, among others). Currently, there is limited understanding of the influence of coatings on the toxicity of AgNPs and in particular their ability to impact on AgNP’s mediated inflammatory responses. As AgNPs are often stabilized by different coatings, including citrate and polyethyleneglycol (PEG), in this study we investigate the influence of citrate (Cit10) or PEG (PEG10) coatings to 10 nm AgNP on skin, using human HaCaT keratinocytes. AgNPs cytotoxicity and inflammatory response (nuclear factor (NF)-κB induction and cytokine production) of HaCaT were assessed after in vitro exposure to 10 and 40 µg/mL after 4, 24, and 48 h. Results showed that although both types of coated AgNPs decreased cell proliferation and viability, Cit10 AgNPs were more toxic. NF-κB inhibition was observed for the highest concentration (40 µg/mL) of PEG10 AgNPs, and the putative link to early apoptotic pathways observed in these cells is discussed. No production of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and TNFα was stimulated by AgNPs. Furthermore, Cit10 and PEG10 AgNPs decreased the release of MCP-1 by HaCaT cells after 48 h of exposure. As cytokines are vital for the immunologic regulation in the human body, and it is demonstrated that they may interfere with NPs, more research is needed to understand how different AgNPs affect the immune system.     

Evaluation of GSH adducts of adrenaline in biological samples

The sustained high release of catecholamines to circulation is a deleterious condition that may induce toxicity, which seems to be partially related to the products formed by oxidation of catecholamines that can be further conjugated with glutathione (GSH). The aim of the present study was to develop a method for the determination of GSH adducts of adrenaline in biological samples. Two position isomers of the glutathion-S-yl-adrenaline were synthesized and characterized by HPLC using diode array, coulometric and mass detectors. A method for the extraction of these adducts from human plasma was also developed, based on adsorption to activated alumina, which showed adequate recoveries and proved to be crucial in removing interferences from plasma. The selectivity, precision and linearity of the method were all within the accepted values for these parameters. Furthermore, the sensitivity of this method allows the detection of adduct amounts that are within the range of the expected concentrations for these adducts under certain pathophysiological conditions and/or drug treatments. In conclusion, the development of this method allows the direct analysis of GSH adducts of adrenaline in human plasma, providing a valuable tool for the study of the catecholamine oxidation process and its related toxicity.     

Synthesis and micellar properties of surface-active ionic liquids: 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium chlorides

A series of surface-active ionic liquids, RMeImCl, has been synthesized by the reaction of purified 1-methylimidazole and 1-chloroalkanes, RCl, R=C(10),C(12),C(14), and C(16), respectively. Adsorption and aggregation of these surfactants in water have been studied by surface tension measurement. Additionally, solution conductivity, electromotive force, fluorescence quenching of micelle-solubilized pyrene, and static light scattering have been employed to investigate micelle formation. The following changes resulted from an increase in the length of R: an increase of micelle aggregation number; a decrease of: minimum area/surfactant molecule at solution/air interface; critical micelle concentration, and degree of counter-ion dissociation. Theoretically-calculated aggregation numbers and those based on quenching of pyrene are in good agreement. Gibbs free energies of adsorption at solution/air interface, DeltaG(ads)(0), and micelle formation in water, DeltaG(mic)(0), were calculated, and compared to those of three surfactant series, alkylpyridinium chlorides, RPyCl, alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chlorides, RBzMe(2)Cl, and benzyl(3-acylaminoethyl)dimethylammonium chlorides, R(')AEtBzMe(2)Cl, respectively. Contributions to the above-mentioned Gibbs free energies from surfactant methylene groups (in the hydrophobic tail) and the head-group were calculated. For RMeImCl, the former energy is similar to that of other cationic surfactants. The corresponding free energy contribution of the head-group to DeltaG(mic)(0) showed the following order: RPyCl approximately RBzMe(2)Cl>RMeImCl>R(')AEtBzMe(2)Cl. The head-groups of the first two surfactant series are more hydrophobic than the imidazolium ring of RMeImCl, this should favor their aggregation. Micellization of RMeImCl, however, is driven by a relatively strong hydrogen-bonding between the chloride ion and the hydrogens in the imidazolium ring, in particular the relatively acidic H2. This interaction more than compensates for the relative hydrophilic character of the diazolium ring. As indicated by the corresponding DeltaG(mic)(0), micellization of R(')AEtBzMe(2)Cl is more favorable than that of RMeImCl because the CONH group of the former surfactant series forms hydrogen bonds to both the counter-ion and the neighboring molecules in the micelle.     

Structures of two N-{2-([(5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)difluoromethyl]-4-halophenyl}acetamides

Abstract  

The compounds, N-{2-[(5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)difluoromethyl]-4-chlorophenyl}acetamide (1: X = Cl) and N-{2([(5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)difluoromethyl]-4-bromo-phenyl}acetamide (1: X = Br), are isostructural. The molecules are near ‘‘V’’ shaped with the angles between the two aromatic planes ca. 84° in each case. The various intermolecular interactions, namely N–H···O, N–H···N, N–H···F, and C–H···N hydrogen bonds and C–H···π, C–Cl···π and C–O···π interactions, generate 3-D arrays. Compound (1: X = Cl) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c with a = 16.9032(7) ?, 10.2193(4) ?, c = 7.5227(4) ?, β = 100.179(3)° and Z = 4. Compound (1: X = Br) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c with a = 17.2119(4) ?, 10.2167(2) ?, c = 7.5677(2) ?, β = 100.326(2)° and Z = 4.     

Identification of alkyl carbazoles and alkyl benzocarbazoles in Brazilian petroleum derivatives

The present work describes (a) the identification and characterization of an impurity, 2,4,5,7-tetrabromo-6-hydroxy-9-(2,3,4,5-tetrachlorophenyl)-3H-xanthen-3-one (BCPX), in the color additives D&C Red Nos. 27 and 28 (phloxine B) and (b) the determination of the extent and level of BCPX contamination in certified lots of these colors. For these purposes, BCPX (a compound not previously reported in the literature) was synthetically prepared. Test portions from 42 certified lots of D&C Red Nos. 27, 28 and 27 lakes were analyzed for BCPX using an HPLC method that included gradient elution and UV-vis photodiode array detection. Those lots were submitted for certification by both domestic (six) and foreign (six) manufacturers during the past 4 years. Of the test portions analyzed, 32 (76.2%) contained BCPX in amounts ranging from 0.01 to 3.21%. The remaining 10 test portions (23.8%) contained no detectable BCPX or less than 0.008%, which is the limit of quantification for the present method. The analyses revealed substantial differences in the level of BCPX across different manufacturers. The wide range of BCPX levels found in the analyzed lots suggests that the presence of BCPX in D&C Red Nos. 27 and 28 may be avoided or significantly reduced during the manufacturing process.     

Wigner Measures in Noncommutative Quantum Mechanics

We study the properties of quasi-distributions or Wigner measures in the context of noncommutative quantum mechanics. In particular, we obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for a phase-space function to be a noncommutative Wigner measure, for a Gaussian to be a noncommutative Wigner measure, and derive certain properties of the marginal distributions which are not shared by ordinary Wigner measures. Moreover, we derive the Robertson-Schrödinger uncertainty principle. Finally, we show explicitly how the set of noncommutative Wigner measures relates to the sets of Liouville and (commutative) Wigner measures.