Characterization of nanochannel delivery membrane systems for the sustained release of resveratrol and atorvastatin: new perspectives on promoting heart health

Novel drug delivery systems capable of continuous sustained release of therapeutics have been studied extensively for use in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. The use of these systems holds promise as a means to achieve higher patient compliance while improving therapeutic index and reducing systemic toxicity. In this work, an implantable nanochannel drug delivery system (nDS) is characterized and evaluated for the long-term sustained release of atorvastatin (ATS) and trans-resveratrol (t-RES), compounds with a proven role in managing atherogenic dyslipidemia and promoting cardioprotection. The primary mediators of drug release in the nDS are nanofluidic membranes with hundreds of thousands of nanochannels (up to 100,000/mm²) that attain zero-order release kinetics by exploiting nanoconfinement and molecule-to-surface interactions that dominate diffusive transport at the nanoscale. These membranes were characterized using gas flow analysis, acetone diffusion, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM). The surface properties of the dielectric materials lining the nanochannels, SiO₂ and low-stress silicon nitride, were further investigated using surface charge analysis. Continuous, sustained in vitro release for both ATS and t-RES was established for durations exceeding 1 month. Finally, the influence of the membranes on cell viability was assessed using human microvascular endothelial cells. Morphology changes and adhesion to the surface were analyzed using SEM, while an MTT proliferation assay was used to determine the cell viability. The nanochannel delivery approach, here demonstrated in vitro, not only possesses all requirements for large-scale high-yield industrial fabrication, but also presents the key components for a rapid clinical translation as an implantable delivery system for the sustained administration of cardioprotectants.     

Synthesis of Isopropyl and Tert-butyl Pyridyl Ketones by Alkylation of Acetylpyridines with Methyl Iodide Using Phase Transfer Catalysis

Isomeric acetylpyridines undergo regiospecific alkylation with methyl iodide under solid/liquid phase transfer conditions (aromatic solvent/KOH/18-crown-6) to give the corresponding isopropyl and/or tert-butyl pyridyl ketones, depending on reaction conditions.     

Michael addition of ethyl anthranilate and phenyl monothioanthranilate to acetylenic esters: experimental and theoretical results

Structural Chemistry - The reaction of ethyl anthranilate with DMAD and with methyl propiolate in dichloromethane in the presence of ethylaluminium dichloride as catalyst at room temperature gives...     

Monitoring chemotherapeutic response in RIF-1 tumors by single-quantum and triple-quantum-filtered (23)Na MRI, (1)H diffusion-weighted MRI and PET imaging

The effects of 5-fluorouracil (5FU, 150 mg/kg, ip) on subcutaneously implanted radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF-1) tumors were monitored by in vivo (1)H MRI to evaluate the water apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), by single-quantum (SQ) and triple-quantum-filtered (TQF) (23)Na MRI to evaluate compartmental Na(+) content and by positron emission tomography (PET) to evaluate 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) uptake in the tumor. The MRI experiments were performed on untreated control and treated mice once before and then daily for 3 days after treatment. The PET experiments were performed on separate groups of age- and tumor-volume-matched animals once before and then 3 days after treatment. Tumor volumes significantly decreased in treated animals 2 and 3 days posttreatment. At the same time points, in vivo MRI measurements showed an increase in both total tissue SQ (23)Na signal intensity (SI) and water ADC in treated tumors while control tumors showed no change in these parameters. TQF (23)Na SI and FDG uptake were significantly lower in treated tumors compared with control tumors 3 days after 5FU treatment. The correlated increases in total tissue (23)Na SI and water ADC following chemotherapy reflect an increase in extracellular space, while the lower TQF (23)Na SI and FDG uptake in treated tumors compared with control tumors suggest a shift in tumor metabolism from glycolysis to oxidation and/or a decrease in cell density.     

Generation and trapping of non-aromatic cycloimines via diazotization/dediazotization of N-amino cyclic amines: theoretical and experimental results

Structural Chemistry - A theoretical investigation of the model diazotization/dediazotization of N-aminopiperidine and N-aminomorpholine at the DFT (B3LYP/6-31+G(d)) level indicated that the...     

Highly Sensitive Upconverting Nanoplatform for Luminescent Thermometry from Ambient to Cryogenic Temperature

Precise assessment of temperature is crucial in many physical, technological, and biological applications where optical thermometry has attracted considerable attention primarily due to fast response, contactless measurement route, and electromagnetic passivity. Rare-earth-doped thermographic phosphors that rely on ratiometric sensing are very efficient near and above room temperature. However, being dependent on the thermally-assisted migration of carriers to higher excited states, they are largely limited by the quenching of the activation mechanism at low temperatures. In this paper, we demonstrate a strategy to pass through this bottleneck by designing a linear colorimetric thermometer by which we could estimate down to 4 K. The change in perceptual color fidelity metric provides an accurate measure for the sensitivity of the thermometer that attains a maximum value of 0.86 K⁻¹. Thermally coupled states in Er³⁺ are also used as a ratiometric sensor from room temperature to ∼140 K. The results obtained in this work clearly show that Yb³⁺−Er³⁺ co-doped NaGdF₄ microcrystals are a promising system that enables reliable bimodal thermometry in a very wide temperature range from ultralow (4 K) to ambient (290 K) conditions.     

1, 3-azaphospholo[5, 1-b]thiazolines and benzothiazoles

The title compounds 3 and 7 are novel heterocyclic systems incorporating two-coordinate phosphorus. They are obtained in reasonable to good yields from the condensation of suitable 2-ethyl-3-alkylthiazolinium and -benzothiazolium bromides 2 and 6 with phosphorus trichloride in the presence of triethylamine in an aprotic solvent. Intermediate dichlorophosphino-substituted N-ylides can be observed or isolated in some cases. From a 2-methyl-3-alkylthiazolinium bromide ( 2a ), a 1-(dichlorophosphino) substituted 1, 3-azaphospholo[5,1-b]thiazoline ( 4 ) was obtained. The chemical shift of the two-coordinate phosphorus in 1,3-azaphosphole derivatives clearly reflects the influence of the heterocyclic system annulated to its 1,5-bond and of the substituents in its 2-and 4-positions.