Magnetic resonance studies of laryngeal tumors implanted in nude mice: effect of treatment with bleomycin and electroporation

Recently, a new type of cancer treatment has been introduced that combines pulsed electric fields (PEF) with anticancer drugs. The proposed mode of action is that PEF create transient pores in the membranes which allow entry of drugs into the cells. This method increases cytotoxicity of some anticancer drugs like bleomycin (BLM) by 2-3 orders of magnitude, which, in turn, reduces systemic drug dosage without decreasing efficacy. In the present study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to determine changes in apparent water self-diffusion coefficients (ADC) and spin-lattice (T(1)) and spin-spin (T(2)) relaxation times that occur in an animal laryngeal tumor (HEp-2 cells) model with BLM delivered by PEF. A Bruker 14 Tesla (600 MHz) wide-bore spectrometer with micro-imaging capability was used to generate all the data. Mice carrying approximately 8 mm tumors were treated with several combinations of drug and PEF. All measurements were made on tumor samples excised from mice 24 and 48 hours after treatment with (i) saline, intratumor injection (i.t.), (ii) BLM, i.t., (iii) saline with PEF, and (iv) BLM, i.t., followed by PEF. Although T(1) does not differ between the controls (i, ii, and iii) and full treatment (iv) 6.72 +/- 0.20 s vs. 6.31 +/- 1.7 s, T(2) for (iv) at 24 hours is significantly different from the controls 52.4 +/- 0.91 ms vs. 46.5 +/- 1.54 ms. T(2) differences between treatment and controls disappear at 48 hours. ADC increases significantly from 24 to 48 hours (7.31 +/- 0.16 x 10(-6) to 8.28 +/- 0.28 x 10(-6) cm(2)/sec, p = 0.05). Longer T(2) values may reflect early apoptosis and tumor death when the tumor is structurally less dense. Higher ADC's, associated with the periphery of the tumors and the central region, may indicate loose structural organization and necrosis resulting from the combination treatment.     

An Unusual Observation in the Synthesis of Thiozoles

Dibromoacetyl benzene derivatives on condensation with thiourea give 2-amino-4-arylthiazoles instead of the expected 2-amino-4-aryl-5-bromothiazoles. Attempts have been made to find the reaction pathway.     

Isolation of dithiocarbazate salts as oxinato-complexes of titanium(IV), zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV)

Summary Ionic chelate complexes of the type, [(⁵-R)₂ML][dtz] [R=cyclopentadienyl (Cp) or indenyl (C₉H₇); M=Ti^IV, Zr^IV or Hf^IV; HL=oxine; dtz=phenyldithiocarbazate (PhNHNHCS₂)] have been synthesised and characterised. Conductance measurements indicate that the complexes are 11 electrolytes. From i.r. and u.v. spectral studies we conclude that the oxinato-group is chelating. Consequently there is tetrahedral coordination around the metal ion.¹H and¹³C N.m.r. studies are consistent with the stoichiometries. X-ray powder diffraction studies have been made for [(⁵-Cp)₂ZrL][dtz]. For [(⁵-Cp)₂TiL][dtz] and [(⁵-Cp)₂ZrL][dtz] thermal (t.g. and d.t.a.) and mass spectral studies have been carried out.     

Conformational study of cis-1,4-di-tert-butylcyclohexane by dynamic NMR spectroscopy and computational methods. Observation of chair and twist-boat conformations

[reaction: see text] Low-temperature 13C NMR spectra of cis-1,4-di-tert-butylcyclohexane (1) showed signals for the twist-boat (1a) and chair (1b) conformations. 13C NMR signals were assigned to specific carbons based on the different populations, different symmetries (time-averaged C(2v) for 1a and time-averaged C(s) for 1b), and calculated chemical shifts (GIAO, HF/6-311+G*). In addition to slow ring inversion and interconversion of the chair and twist-boat conformations, slow rotation of the tert-butyl groups was found. Most of the expected 13C peaks were observed. Free-energy barriers of 6.83 and 6.35 kcal/mol were found for interconversion of 1a (major) and 1b (minor) at -148.1 degrees C. Conformational space was searched with Allinger's MM3 and MM4 programs, and free energies were obtained for several low-energy conformations 1a-c. Calculations were repeated with ab initio methods up to the HF/6-311+G* level. Molecular symmetries, relative free energies, relative enthalpies and entropies, frequencies, and NMR chemical shifts were obtained. A boat conformation (1d; C(2v) symmetry) was generated and optimized as a transition state by ab initio, MM3, and MM4 calculations.     

Preparation and Characterisation of Bis (η5-Cyclopentadienyl) N,N-Disubstituted Dithiocarbamato Chloro Oxotungsten (VI) Complexes

Bis (η⁵-cyclopentaienyl) N,N-disubstituted dithiocarbamato chloro oxotungsten (VI) complexes of the type η⁵-Cp₂WO(S₂CNR₂)Cl and η⁵-Cp₂WO(S₂CNRR')Cl (where R=Me, Et and i-Pr and R'=Cyhx) have been prepared by the reaction of bis (η⁵-cyclopentadienyl) oxotungsten (VI) dichloride with sodium salts of dithiocarbamic acids in refluxing tetrahydrofuran. Infrared spectral studies demonstrate that in these complexes dithiocarbamate ligands are bidentate. Therefore, tungsten (VI) atom may be assigned a coordination number 6 in all these complexes. Elemental analyses of these compounds have also been carried out. Electronic spectra have been recorded for all the six complexes.     

Synthesis,spectral, fluorescence and thermal studies on ionic hafnocene thiopurine complexes

Ionic chelates of hafnocene, with 6-mercaptopurine (HL¹) (A) and 6-thioguanine (HL²) (B) of the type [( ⁵-C₅H₅)₂HfL¹]⁺X^– (C) and [( ⁵-C₅H₅)₂HfL²]⁺X^– (D) (X = CuCl₃, ZnCl₃, CdCl₃, HgCl₃, PhNHNHCS₂) have been prepared and characterized by conductivity measurements and by i.r., electronic, ¹H-n.m.r. and ¹³C-n.m.r. spectra. Fluorescence studies of the complexes containing Hg in the anionic moiety, and relevant photochemical parameters, have been elucidated. Thermodynamic parameters have been calculated using thermogravimetric (t.g.) and differential thermal analytical (d.t.a.) curves and their variations have been correlated with some structural parameters of the complexes. The ligands, as well as their hafnium(IV) complexes, exhibit appreciable antibacterial and antifungal activity against E. coli, S. typhi, P. aeruginosa, Z. mobilis bacterial strains and versus A. awamori, A. niger fungal strains, respectively.     

Thiophene derivatives: A potent multitargeted pharmacological scaffold

Despite a significant work that has been done on thiophene, continuous efforts are still being made by the researchers to identify novel heterocyclic compounds with potential bioactivities. Thiophene nucleus has been extensively utilized by the researchers across the globe for the development of diverse bioactive heterocycles for hitting a wide range of biological targets. This review throws light on synthetic approaches that have been used for the synthesis of potential thiophene derivatives followed by the depth analysis of them with respect to their pharmacological significance. This review can help the medicinal chemists and researchers to develop novel leads having thiophene nucleus with high efficacy and reduced side effects.