Fluence Rate-Dependent Photobleaching of Intratumorally Administered Pc 4 Does not Predict Tumor Growth Delay

We examined effects of fluence rate on the photobleaching of the photosensitizer Pc 4 during photodynamic therapy (PDT) and the relationship between photobleaching and tumor response to PDT. BALB/c mice with intradermal EMT6 tumors were given 0.03 mg kg^?1 Pc 4 by intratumor injection and irradiated at 667 nm with an irradiance of 50 or 150 mW cm^?2 to a fluence of 100 J cm^?2. While no cures were attained, significant tumor growth delay was demonstrated at both irradiances compared with drug‐only controls. There was no significant difference in tumor responses to these two irradiances (P = 0.857). Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to monitor the bleaching of Pc 4 during irradiation, with more rapid bleaching with respect to fluence shown at the higher irradiance. No significant correlation was found between fluorescence photobleaching and tumor regrowth for the data interpreted as a whole. Within each treatment group, weak associations between photobleaching and outcome were observed. In the 50 mW cm^?2 group, enhanced photobleaching was associated with prolonged growth delay (P = 0.188), while at 150 mW cm^?2 this trend was reversed (P = 0.308). Thus, it appears that Pc 4 photobleaching is not a strong predictor of individual tumor response to Pc 4‐PDT under these treatment conditions.     

Solvent-free,microwave-assisted highly efficient,rapid and simple synthesis of biphenyl compounds by using silica based Pd(II) catalyst

To maintain catalytic performance of any catalyst for a long time, the selection of support material is a very important parameter for heterogeneous catalytic systems, and this performance makes the catalyst valuable. In view of its low cost and availability, silica can be considered as a good support material for transition metal ions in the cross coupling reactions. Therefore, this study describes i) silica-gel based palladium catalyst with a long-term catalytic performance, ii) rapid, simple, economic, and green procedure which was developed for Suzuki reactions. The catalyst showed superior reusability (ten runs) and catalytic efficiency against coupling reactions under mild conditions (50°C, 5 min and air atmosphere). Moreover, the catalyst gave partially good reaction yields with aril chlorides which have poor activity in coupling reactions. In addition, an excellent turnover number (TON: 66000) and frequency (TOF: 825000) were obtained using very small catalyst loading (1.5 × 10^?3 mol %). This paper concludes that silica-gel based Pd(II) catalyst and the protocol of synthesis of biaryls were suitable for coupling reactions.     

Two-dimensional surface properties of PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymer film at the air/water interface in the absence and presence of Tyr-Phe dipeptide, Val-Tyr-Val tripeptide, SDS and stearic acid

Two-dimensional surface properties of PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymer film (Mol.Wt. 2800) in the absence and presence of Tyr-Phe dipeptide, Val-Tyr-Val tripeptide, sodium dodecylsulfate and stearic acid have been investigated for the first time at the air/water interface using Langmuir film balance technique. It is observed that the above polymer forms fairly stable film at the air/water interface. There are no significant changes observed in the surface pressure-area (π-A) isotherms of polymer in the presence of SDS. However, more expanded film was formed in presence of SDS since the solubility of the polymer is more in SDS and the polymer network is disturbed in presence of SDS, which results in the increase in surface area of the polymer films. In the presence of dipeptide and tripeptide, the surface area of the polymer film decreased with a slight increase in the surface pressure indicating the binding of these peptides to polymer, which enhances the stability of the polymer film. Thermodynamic studies on the change in surface area (ΔA) and excess free energy of mixing (ΔG(mix)(E)) associated with the formation of the mixed film suggest the occurrence of a thermodynamically unstable mixed film. The presence of SDS slightly decreases the formation of mixed film of stearic acid with triblock copolymer and peptides due to the solubilization of these compounds in SDS. However, the hydrophobicity of the polymer films increases in the presence of stearic acid, leading to the increase in surface pressure. The positive deviation of ΔA and the positive ΔG(mix)(E) values show the non-ideality and incompatibility of thermodynamically unstable mixed films. The thermodynamic results suggest that the stability and compatibility of the polymer, peptides and their mixed films with stearic acid in the presence of SDS are decreased, which is in good agreement with the results obtained for other polymeric systems.     

Micro-TLC Approach for Fast Screening of Environmental Samples Derived from Surface and Sewage Waters

In this work we demonstrated analytical capability of micro-planar (micro-TLC) technique comprising one and two-dimensional (2D) separation modes to generate fingerprints of environmental samples originated from sewage and ecosystems waters. We showed that elaborated separation and detection protocols are complementary to previously invented HPLC method based on temperature-dependent inclusion chromatography and UV-DAD detection. Presented 1D and 2D micro-TLC chromatograms of SPE (solid-phase extraction) extracts were optimized for fast and low-cost screening of water samples collected from lakes and rivers located in the area of Middle Pomerania in northern part of Poland. Moreover, we studied highly organic compounds loaded in the treated and untreated sewage waters obtained from municipal wastewater treatment plant “Jamno” near Koszalin City (Poland). Analyzed environmental samples contained number of substances characterized by polarity range from estetrol to progesterone as well as chlorophyll-related dyes previously isolated and pre-purified by simple SPE protocol involving C18 cartridges. Optimization of micro-TLC separation and quantification protocols of such samples were discussed from the practical point of view using simple separation efficiency criteria including total peaks number, log(product ΔhR _F), signal intensity and peak asymmetry. Outcomes of the presented analytical approach, especially using detection involving direct fluorescence (UV366/Vis) and phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) visualization are compared with UV-DAD HPLC-generated data reported previously. Chemometric investigation based on principal components analysis revealed that SPE extracts separated by micro-TLC and detected under fluorescence and PMA visualization modes can be used for robust sample fingerprinting even after long-term storage of the extracts (up to 4 years) at subambient temperature (?20 °C). Such approach allows characterization of wide range of sample components that are present in given extract in high and middle concentration range. Due to protocol simplicity and low cost of analysis this method can be useful for preliminary sample screening.     

An efficient catalytic method for the Beckmann rearrangement of ketoximes to amides and aldoximes to nitriles mediated by propylphosphonic anhydride (T3P®)

An efficient method for the Beckmann rearrangement of ketoximes to amides mediated by a catalytic amount (15 mol %) of propylphosphonic anhydride (T3P®) is described. Aldoximes underwent second order Beckmann rearrangement to provide the corresponding nitriles in excellent yields on reacting with T3P (15 mol %) at room temperature. The main advantages of this environmentally friendly protocol include procedural simplicity, and particularly ease of isolation of the products.     

Two furo­pyridine complexes of nickel(II) iso­thio­cyanate

Pyridine fused with a furan ring (fupy), and its di­methyl derivative, have been used for the first time as ligands to synthesize potentially new Werner clathrates. The extended aromatic system of pyridine‐like ligands influences considerably the molecular structure of prepared nickel complexes. The molecular structure of tetrakis­(furo­[3,2‐c]­pyridine)­bis(iso­thio­cyanato)­nickel(II) tetra­hydro­furan (THF) solvate, [Ni(NCS)₂(C₇H₅NO)₄]·C₄H₈O or [Ni(NCS)₂(fupy)₄]·THF, (I), reveals a `four‐blade propeller' arrangement of ligands, with the angles between the fupy planes and the basal octahedron plane spanning the range 38.7–55.3°. These angles are much larger (69.9–78.8°) in the centrosymmetric complex tetrakis(2,3‐di­methyl­furo­[3,2‐c]­pyridine)­bis­(iso­thio­cyanato)nickel(II) 6.6‐hydrate, [Ni(NCS)₂(C₉H₉NO)₄]·6.6H₂O or [Ni(NCS)₂(Me₂fupy)₄]·6.6H₂O, (II), in which crystallographically imposed inversion symmetry is present.     

Vibrational spectra of 2-biphenylmethanol. Spectrum simulation and molecular structure

The vibrational spectra of a solid crystalline sample of 2-biphenylmethanol have been measured at room temperature. The IR absorption spectra were recorded in the range 400 cm^–1–3600 cm^–1; Raman spectra were measured in the range 10 cm^–1–1640 cm^–1. The direct mechanical and optoelectronic problems were solved using the fragment method realized as Lev-100 software; the intensity distribution in the IR spectrum of 2-biphenylmethanol was obtained by the same method. The experimental Raman and IR absorption spectra were interpreted by analyzing the calculated data on the frequencies and forms of normal vibrations and their intensities in the IR spectra. IR absorption spectra were simulated for several models of 2-biphenylmethanol conformers that differ in the mutual orientation of fragments. Based on the results of simulation and comparison of the calculated and experimental spectra of conformers we suggested a model for the conformer realized in the solid phase under normal conditions.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by L. M. Babkov, J. Baran, N. A. Davydova, J. I. Kukielskii, and S. V. TrukhachevTranslated from Zhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 624–631, July–August, 2004.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

Design, synthesis, and biological activities of some branched carbasugars: construction of a substituted 6-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]nonane skeleton

Transformation of cyclohexa-2,4-diene-1,2-diylbis(methylene) diacetate to various carbasugars is described. Photooxygenation of a cyclohexadiene derivative gave a bicyclicendoperoxide, which was reduced with thiourea to [2-[(acetyloxy)methyl]cyclohexa-2,4-dien-1-yl]methyl acetate. Epoxidation of the remaining double bond followed by epoxide ring-opening and hydrolysis of the acetate groups gave one of the target hexols. The bicyclic endoperoxide was rearranged to a diepoxide with CoTPP. The diepoxide was reacted with sulfamic acid in acetic anhydride, resulting in the formation of a new branched carbasugar as well as in the formation of cyclitols with a 6-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]nonane skeleton. The mechanism of the formation of the products is discussed. The inhibition activity of six cyclitol derivatives was tested against α-glycosidase.