Fluorescence spectral properties of the anticancer drug topotecan by steady-state and frequency domain fluorometry with one-photon and multi-photon excitation

Topotecan is an antitumor agent with activity against a variety of cancers. We examined the steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectral properties of topotecan with one- and two-photon excitation. Topotecan was found to display a high two-photon cross section near 20 GM for wavelengths within the fundamental output of a Ti:sapphire laser, 800-880 nm. In frozen solution the anisotropies of topotecan are near the theoretical maxima for one-photon and two-photon excitation with colinear electronic transitions. The intensity and anisotropy decays of topotecan fluorescence were found to be homogeneous (single exponentials) in phosphate-buffered saline and propylene glycol. The steady-state and time-resolved data indicate that topotecan binds to a double-helical DNA oligomer d(AT)10 resulting in increased anisotropies and multiexponential intensity and anisotropy decays. Subnanosecond components in the anisotropy decay of the DNA-topotecan complex suggest loose binding of the drug to DNA. Loose binding of topotecan to DNA is also revealed by accessibility of topotecan to collisional quenching by iodide.     

Influence of rotation and isotope effects on the dynamics of the N((2)D)+H(2) reactive system and of its deuterated variants

Integral cross sections and thermal rate constants have been calculated for the N((2)D)+H(2) reaction and its isotopic variants N((2)D)+D(2) and the two-channel N((2)D)+HD by means of quasiclassical trajectory and statistical quantum-mechanical model methods on the latest ab initio potential-energy surface [T.-S. Ho et al., J. Chem. Phys. 119, 3063 (2003)]. The effect of rotational excitation of the diatom on the dynamics of these reactions has been investigated and interesting discrepancies between the classical and statistical model calculations have been found. Whereas a net effect of reagent rotation on reactivity is always observed in the classical calculations, only a very slight effect is observed in the case of the asymmetric N((2)D)+HD reaction for the statistical quantum-mechanical method. The thermal rate constants calculated on this Potential-Energy Surface using quasiclassical trajectory and statistical model methods are in good agreement with the experimental determinations, although the latter are somewhat larger. A reevaluation of the collinear barrier of the potential surface used in the present study seems timely. Further theoretical and experimental studies are needed for a full understanding of the dynamics of the title reaction.     

Vibrational energies for the X1A1, A1B1, and B1A1 states of SiH2/SiD2 and related transition probabilities based on global potential energy surfaces

Transition probabilities were evaluated for the X(1)A(1)-A(1)B(1) and A(1)B(1)-B(1)A(1) systems of SiH(2) and SiD(2) to analyze the X-->A-->B photoexcitation. The Franck-Condon factors (FCFs) and Einstein's B coefficients were computed by quantum vibrational calculations using the three-dimensional potential energy surfaces (PESs) of the SiH(2)(X(1)A(1),A(1)B(1),B(1)A(1)) electronic states and the electronic transition moments for the X-A, X-B, and A-B system. The global PESs were determined by the multireference configuration interaction calculations with the Davidson correction and the interpolant moving least-squares method combined with the Shepard interpolation. The obtained FCFs for the X-A and A-B systems exhibit that the bending mode is strongly enhanced in the excitation since the equilibrium bond angle greatly varies with the three states; the barrier to linearity is evaluated to be 21,900 cm(-1) for the X state, 6400 cm(-1) for the A state, and 230-240 cm(-1) for the B state. The theoretical lifetimes for the pure bending levels of the A and B states were calculated from the fluorescence decay rates for the A-X, B-A, and B-X emissions.     

Development of a capillary electrophoretic method for the separation of diastereoisomers of a new human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitor

A capillary electrophoretic (CE) method was developed for the separation of diastereoisomers of a new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease inhibitor TMC114. In total 16 isomers of this drug have been synthesized (eight pairs of enantiomers). We succeeded in the separation of the eight diastereoisomers, but no enantiomers could be separated. Because of the high similarity and water-insolubility of these isomers, the separation is a real challenge. Different CE modes were tried out: capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE), micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC), and microemulsion electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEEKC). Only MEEKC offered resolution of these compounds.     

Potentiometric studies on the complexation of copper(II) by phenolic acids as discrete ligand models of humic substances

Studies on the complexation of copper(II) by phenolic acids, as ligand models of humic substances were done by potentiometry. The acids under study were: 3,4-dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acid or hydrocaffeic acid (1), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (2) and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid or protocatechuic acid (3). Acidity constants of the ligands and the formation constants of metal-ligand complexes were evaluated by computer programs. The carboxylic group of the phenolic acids has different pK_a1 values, being the dissociation constants intrinsically related with the distance between the function and the aromatic nucleus. The results obtained allow concluding that acidity constants of the catechol moiety of the compounds are similar with pK_a2 and pK_a3 values between 9.47-9.41 and 11.55-11.70. The complexation properties of the three ligands towards copper(II) ion are quite similar, being the species found not different either in nature or stability. Although the model ligands have some structural differences no significant differences were found in their complexation properties towards copper(II). So, it can be postulated that complexation process is intrinsically related with the presence of a catechol group.     

Vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cell culture on NaOH-treated poly(epsilon-caprolactone) films: a preliminary study for vascular graft development

Tissue engineering offers the potential of providing vessels that can be used to replace diseased and damaged native blood vessels. The endothelization of a synthetic vascular graft minimizes the failures associated with blood clotting and platelet activation. The aim of this study was to culture vascular-derived endothelial and smooth muscle cells on both untreated and NaOH-treated poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) films, a biocompatible and bio-resorbable polymer, and to evaluate the behavior of both cell types as a preliminary study for vascular graft development. PCL films were prepared by hot pressing; characterized by DSC, IR, SEM, and scanning force microscopy; and treated with NaOH to increase the surface hydrophilicity before cell culture. Endothelial and smooth muscle cells, isolated from pig cava vein, were characterized by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy studies of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and alpha-smooth muscle actin. Good adhesion, growth, viability and morphology of both the endothelial and smooth muscle cells on PCL films were obtained, but a light stimulation of mitochondrial activity was observed during short culture times. NaOH treatment improved the adhesion and enhanced the proliferation in both cell types. This verified the possible use of this modified polymer as a support in the preparation of a synthetic vascular graft. [Diagram: see text] SEM micrograph of smooth muscle cells cultured on NaOH-treated PCL film. (Original magnification: 1000x).     

On the mechanism of THF catalyzed vinylic lithiation of allylamine derivatives: structural studies using 2-D and diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy

N-Lithio-N-(trialkylsilyl)allylamines can be deprotonated in the presence of ethereal solvents exclusively at the cis-vinylic position to yield 3,N-dilithio-N-(trialkylsilyl)allylamines under mild conditions. Low temperature (1)H and (7)Li NMR ((1)H NOESY, TOCSY, (1)H/(7)Li HSQC, and DO-NMR) studies on the solution structure of 3,N-dilithio-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)allylamine identified three major aggregates in THF (monomer, dimer and tetramer), but the aggregate structures failed to explain the solvent dependence and regiochemical outcome of the reaction. Low temperature (1)H NMR (NOESY, TOCSY, DO-NMR) studies on the solution structure of N-lithio-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)allylamine in the presence of nBuLi identified amide/nBuLi mixed aggregates in both the ethereal solvent THF (1:1 dimer) and the hydrocarbon solvent toluene (1:3 tetramer). Addition of 2 equiv of THF to toluene solutions induces the formation of the same THF solvated 1:1 dimer as observed in neat THF. NMR evidence suggests that in THF the mixed aggregate has close contact between the olefin and the beta-CH(2) of nBuLi, while in the absence of THF, the allyl chain appears to be pointed away from the nearest nBuLi residues.     

Reactions of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) with one-electron oxidants: possible formation of a carbene cation radical

One-electron oxidation of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) has been carried out using oxidising agents such as tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) and ferrocenium [Cp(2)Fe](+); the formation of carbene radical cations is postulated.     

Silylstannation of terminal alkynes using a recyclable palladium(0) catalyst immobilised in an ionic liquid

Silylstannanes can be regioselectively added across terminal alkynes in a quantitative fashion in the presence of a palladium(0) catalyst immobilised in the [bmim]PF6 ionic liquid which can be recycled without loss of activity.     

Molecular modeling (MM2 and PM3) and experimental (NMR and thermal analysis) studies on the inclusion complex of salbutamol and beta-cyclodextrin

The inclusion complex of salbutamol and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) is studied by computational (MM2 and PM3) and experimental techniques. Molecular modeling calculations predict two different orientations of salbutamol in the beta-CD cavity in vacuo and in aqueous solution. In vacuo calculations show that the introduction of the aromatic ring of salbutamol is preferred to the introduction of the tert-butyl group into the beta-CD cavity. However, in aqueous solution both computational methods predict the introduction of the alkyl chain instead of the aromatic ring in the beta-CD cavity contrary to experimental results published previously. These quantitative predictions were experimentally confirmed here by studying the inclusion complex in solution by NMR. A 1:1 stoichiometry was found by (1)H NMR studies for this complex. A 2D ROESY (rotating-frame Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy) experiment shows that there are no cross-peaks between the aromatic protons of salbutamol and any of the protons of beta-CD. Cross-peaks for the protons of the tert-butyl group and protons inside the cavity of beta-CD demonstrate the full involvement of this group in the complexation process and confirm the orientation of the complex predicted by molecular modeling. The solid-state complex was prepared and its stoichiometry (beta-CD.C(13)H(21)NO(3).8H(2)O) and dissociation process studied by thermogravimetric analysis.