Synergistic antitumor effect of curcumin and dinitrosyl iron complexes for against melanoma cells

The aim of this study was to examine whether combining curcumin, a chemoprevention agent, and dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) would have a synergistic cytotoxic effect on mouse melanoma B16-F10 cells in vitro. Three synthesized DNICs-[PPN] [(NO)₂Fe(SCH₂CONHCH₃)₂] (NC01), [PPN] [(NO)₂Fe(SCH₂CON(CH₃)₂)₂] (NC02), and [Na][(NO)₂Fe(SCH₂CON(CH₃)₂)₂] (NC03) were tested in this study. In vitro DNA cleavage assay showed all three DNICs could cause plasmid DNA damage through releasing NO under UV irradiation. The cytotoxicity assay demonstrated these DNICs were toxic to B16-F10 cells in vitro, and the estimated values of LD₅₀ (24 h of incubation) of NC01 and NC02 were 1 μM, while the values of LD₅₀ of NC03 was 200 μM. No synergistic cytotoxicity effect was noted in the treatments of the combinations of curcumin and DNICs. On the contrary, in the presence of NC03, the toxicity of curcumin was reduced. Using UV-Visible spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy, we found NC03 might interact with curcumin and reduce the accumulation of curcumin in cells. Further experiments using the pretreatment of curcumin for 4 h followed by the treatment of NC03 showed the synergistic cytotoxic effect, while, the pretreatment of NC03 followed by the treatment of curcumin did not have any effect. This study provides the basis for further investigation on the effects of combinations of curcumin and other NO donors.     

Characterization, synthesis and self-aggregation of (-)-alternarlactam: a new fungal cytotoxin with cyclopentenone and isoquinolinone scaffolds

(-)-Alternarlactam [(-)-1], a new promising cytotoxin against two human cancer cell lines, was isolated from an endophyte culture and synthesized (along with (+)-1) from readily available starting materials. The absolute configuration, chirality-activity relevance and self-aggregation of (-)-1 were assigned by a combination of synthetic, spectroscopic and computational approaches. The full characterization of the new fungal cytotoxin may provide valuable information in the discovery of new antitumor agents.     

2,3,7,8,12,13‐Hexaaryltruxenes: An ortho‐Substituted Multiarm Design and Microwave‐Accelerated Synthesis toward Starburst Macromolecular Materials with Well‐Defined π Delocalization

We present herein a novel design and the efficient synthesis towards a “homogeneous” starburst fluorene system based on the novel 2,3,7,8,12,13‐hexaaryltruxene scaffold. Controlled microwave heating provides a facile and powerful approach for each step in the synthesis of these bulky materials with large steric hindrance, suggesting an avenue to access structurally well‐defined complex organic semiconductors (OSCs) rapidly and conveniently with high yield and purity. The resulting materials exhibited good thermal stability and an excellent glassy structure as revealed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as well as wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) studies. Moreover, compared with their corresponding three‐arm‐substituted counterparts T1 – T4 , the introduction of the ortho substituents around the truxene core in Tr1 – Tr4 results in significant blueshifts (of 7–24 nm) of the absorption maxima λ_max and higher energy optical gaps (E_g). Comparative studies with corresponding linear, rod‐shaped oligofluorene counterparts (OFX) have revealed that the longest para‐conjugated segment in the TrX (X=1–4) structures plays the dominant role in determining their electronic properties. UV/Vis data and cyclic voltammetry (CV) investigations have indicated that there is little electronic interaction between the arms, even for the shortest armed oligomer Tr1 . A clear linear relationship of both 1/λ_max and E_g with the inverse of (n+1) for these branched systems was found. Our findings highlight a novel molecular design comprising an ortho‐substituted, multiarmed architecture that would allow the introduction of isotropic physical and/or mechanical properties, while at the same time maintaining most of the important electronic properties of the rod‐shaped constituents of a fully conjugated system.     

Self‐Assembly and Structural Evolvement of Polyoxometalate‐Anchored Dendron Complexes

A cationic dendritic molecule that has alkyl chains has been synthesized and employed to encapsulate anionic polyoxometalates through electrostatic interactions. The prepared surfactant‐encapsulated polyoxometalate (SEP) complexes were used as building blocks to fabricate self‐assemblies in solution and the solid state. Monodispersion, lamellar, and columnar assemblies of SEP complexes have been characterized in detail. With increasing the number of peripheral cationic dendrons on inorganic clusters, the SEPs undergo changes from globular assemblies to monodispersions in solution and from lamellar assemblies to hexagonal columnar structures in the solid state, depending on the amounts of cationic dendrons in the complexes. The structural evolvement was simulated through consideration of the size and shape of the cationic dendron and polyanionic clusters, and the experimental results are in good agreement with the interpretation of the simulations. The present research demonstrates a new kind of dendritic complex and provides a route for controlling their assembling states by simply alternating the number of cationic dendrons in the complexes.     

Adapting decarbonylation chemistry for the development of prodrugs capable of in vivo delivery of carbon monoxide utilizing sweeteners as carrier molecules

Carbon monoxide as an endogenous signaling molecule exhibits pharmacological efficacy in various animal models of organ injury. To address the difficulty in using CO gas as a therapeutic agent for widespread applications, we are interested in developing CO prodrugs through bioreversible caging of CO in an organic compound. Specifically, we have explored the decarboxylation–decarbonylation chemistry of 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds. Examination and optimization of factors favorable for maximal CO release under physiological conditions led to organic CO prodrugs using non-calorific sweeteners as leaving groups attached to the 1,2-dicarbonyl core. Attaching a leaving group with appropriate properties promotes the desired hydrolysis–decarboxylation–decarbonylation sequence of reactions that leads to CO generation. One such CO prodrug was selected to recapitulate the anti-inflammatory effects of CO against LPS-induced TNF-α production in cell culture studies. Oral administration in mice elevated COHb levels to the safe and efficacious levels established in various preclinical and clinical studies. Furthermore, its pharmacological efficacy was demonstrated in mouse models of acute kidney injury. These studies demonstrate the potential of these prodrugs with benign carriers as orally active CO-based therapeutics. This represents the very first example of orally active organic CO prodrugs with a benign carrier that is an FDA-approved sweetener with demonstrated safety profiles in vivo.

1,2-Dicarbonyl compounds with FDA-approved sweeteners as leaving groups deliver CO for protection against acute kidney injury in mice.     

矩阵逆半群

讨论矩阵逆半群的一些基本性质, 证明矩阵逆半群的幂等元集是有限布尔格的子半格, 从而证明等秩矩阵逆半群是群, 然后完全确定二级矩阵逆半群的结构：一个二级矩阵逆半群或者同构于二级线性群,或者同构于二级线性群添加一个零元素,或者是交换线性群的有限半格, 或者满足其他一些性质; 对于由某些二级矩阵构成的集合, 我们给出了它们成为矩阵逆半群的充分必要条件.     

Hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-flame ionization detection for the profiling of fatty acids in vegetable oils

The development of a two phase hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction technique, followed by gas-chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) for the profiling of the fatty acids (FAs) (lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic and arachidic) in vegetable oils is described. Heptadecanoic acid methyl ester was used as the internal standard. The FAs were transesterified to their corresponding methyl esters prior to the extraction. Extraction parameters such as type of extracting solvent, temperature, extraction time, stirring speed and salt addition were studied and optimized. Recommended conditions were extraction solvent, n-tridecane; extraction time, 35 min; extraction temperature, ambient; without addition of salt. Enrichment factors varying from 37 to 115 were achieved. Calibration curves for the nine FAs were well correlated (r(2)>0.994) within the range of 10-5000 μg L(-1). The limit of detection (signal:noise, 3) was 4.73-13.21 ng L(-1). The method was successfully applied to the profiling of the FAs in palm oils (crude, olein, kernel, and carotino cooking oil) and other vegetable oils (soybean, olive, coconut, rice bran and pumpkin). The encouraging enrichments achieved offer an interesting option for the profiling of the minor and major FAs in palm and other vegetable oils.     

苯并二噁唑系列聚合物的合成及表征

以4,6-二氨基-1,3-苯二酚盐酸盐为原料,分别和对苯二甲酸、1,4-萘二甲酸、2,6-萘二甲酸、2,5-噻吩二甲酸、4,4-′(1,2-二苯基乙烯)二甲酸在多聚磷酸介质中反应,合成单环的聚(1,4-亚苯基)苯并二噁唑(PBO)、稠环的聚(1,4-亚萘基)苯并二噁唑(1,4-PNBO)和聚(2,6-亚萘基)苯并二噁唑(2,6-PNBO)、杂环的聚(2,5-亚噻吩基)苯并二噁唑(PTBO)及含有两个苯环的聚-4,4′-亚(1,2-二苯乙烯基)苯并二噁唑(4,4′-PDPEBO).采用傅立叶红外光谱、热重分析、元素分析、特性黏数分析对系列聚合物进行了表征.研究结果表明PBO、1,4-PNBO、4,4-′PDPEBO、2,6-PNBO和PTBO 5种聚合物的耐热性能依次降低,特性黏数依次为25.40、16.76、20.63、15.38和14.63 dL/g.     

带极性侧链的环[6]芳酰胺的球形自组装

环芳酰胺是一类基于三中心氢键促进,经寡聚前体一步大环合成法得到的刚性大环分子.通过紫外-可见(UV-Vis)光谱、动态光散射(DLS)、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)和原子力显微镜(AFM)等实验手段,详细考察了侧链为三甘醇单甲基醚链,由六个苯环单元组成的环[6]芳酰胺的自组装行为.实验结果表明,该大环在1,2-二氯乙烷中发生自组装,其组装聚集体随温度升高产生从聚集体到单分子的解聚变化,至70℃时几乎完全解聚;在由良溶剂(二氯甲烷)和不良溶剂(芳烃类)组成的混合溶剂中,带有三甘醇醚链的环[6]芳酰胺化合物1自组装成微球,结合热稳定性实验和TEM证实是实心微球而非囊泡.进一步发现微球形成和形貌依赖于混合溶剂中不良溶剂的极性和种类,芳烃类溶剂有利于微球形成,而烷烃和极性溶剂则不利,后者更倾向于形成膜的结构.     

NH_4[RE(Ac)_4·H_2O]发光稀土配合物的研究

以乙酸和乙酸铵为配体,合成了新颖发光稀土配合物,通过元素分析、红外光谱、热重分析等手段对配合物进行了表征,确定其结构为NH4[RE(Ac)4.H2O](RE=Tb或Eu).结果表明,配合物中羧基以螯合、双齿和单齿方式与稀土离子配位;并通过荧光光谱分析、荧光寿命研究了其发光性能,配合物能发射强的稀土离子的特征荧光且有较长的荧光寿命.