The dog mummy, the ticks and the louse fly: Archaeological report of severe ectoparasitosis in Ancient Egypt.

The authors report the first archaeological case of dog ectoparasitosis in Ancient Egypt. The study of a mummified young dog dated to the Roman period suggests a significant infestation by two blood sucking ectoparasites, respectively the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus Latreille, 1806 (Acari: Ixodidae), the louse fly Hippobosca longipennis Fabricius, 1805 (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) as well as puparia of sarcosaprophagous flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae and Calliphoridae), a potential source of myiasis. All of these species are known to be potential vectors of different pathogens which may be responsible for the premature death of the dog.

Solid-state and solution properties of the lanthanide complexes of a new heptadentate tripodal ligand: a route to gadolinium complexes with an improved relaxation efficiency.

The tripodal ligand (alpha,alpha',alpha' 'nitrilotri(6-methyl-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid)) (H(3)tpaa) forms a Gd(III) complex which has a relaxivity (r(1p) = 13.3 mM(-1) s(-1) at 25 degrees C and at 60 MHz) remarkably higher than those of the currently clinically used contrast agents based on octacoordinate polyaminocarboxylate complexes (3.5-4.7 mM(-1) s(-1)) and a reasonably good thermodynamic stability. The crystal structure of the ligand and of its La, Nd, Eu, Gd, Tb, Ho, Tm, Yb, and Lu complexes have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The neutral H(3)tpaa molecule adopts, in the solid state, a preorganized tripodal conformation in which the three H(3)tpaa arms are located on the same side of the molecule, ready to bind a metal ion in a heptadentate coordination mode. The structures of the Ln(III) complexes vary along the series for their nuclearity and number of water molecules coordinated to the metal, and a tetrameric structure is observed for the La(3+) ion (9- and 10-coordinate metal centers), dimeric structures are formed from the Nd(3+) ion through the Yb(3+) ion (9-coordinate), and a monomeric structure results for Lu(3+) (8-coordinate). The relaxivity studies presented here suggest that the high relaxivity of the Gd(tpaa) complex is mainly the consequence of a shorter bound water proton-Gd(III) distance associated with a probable water coordination equilibrium between tris(aqua) and bis(aqua) complexes, giving raise to a mean number of coordinated water molecules q > 2. Both effects are strongly related to the ligand flexibility, which allows for a large volume available for water binding. The observed rapid water exchange rate is probably due to the presence of a low-energy barrier between 10-, 9-, and 8- coordinate geometries. Although the low solubility of the Gd complex of tpaa prevents its practical application as an MRI contrast agent, the straightforward introduction of substituents on the pyridine rings allows us to envisage ligands with a higher water solubility, containing functional groups leading to macromolecular systems with very high relaxivity.

A model for sequential threading of alpha-cyclodextrin onto a guest: a complete thermodynamic and kinetic study in water.

The first variable-temperature and variable-pressure stopped-flow spectrophotometric study of the sequential threading of alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD) onto the guest dye Mordant Orange 10, S, is reported. Complementary (1)H one-dimensional (1D) variable-temperature kinetic studies and two-dimensional (2D) rotating-frame nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (ROESY) and EXSY NMR studies are also reported. In aqueous solution at 298.2 K, the first alpha-CD threads onto S to form a 1:1 complex S.alpha-CD with a forward rate constant k(1,f) = 15 200 +/- 200 M(-1) s(-1) and dethreads with a reverse rate constant k(1,r) = 4.4 +/- 0.3 s(-1). Subsequently, S.alpha-CD isomerizes to S.alpha-CD (k(3,f) = 0.158 +/- 0.006 s(-1), k(3,f) = 0.148 +/- 0.006 s(-1)). This process can be viewed as a thermodynamically controlled molecular shuttle. A second alpha-CD threads onto S.alpha-CD to form a 1:2 complex, S.(alpha-CD)(2), with k(2,f) = 98 +/- 2 M(-1) s(-1) and k(2,r) = 0.032 +/- 0.002 s(-1). A second alpha-CD also threads onto S.alpha-CD to form another 1:2 complex, S.(alpha-CD)(2), characterized by k(4,f) = 9640 +/- 1800 M(-1) s(-1) and k(4,r) = 61 +/- 6 s(-1). Direct interconvertion between S.(alpha-CD)(2) and S.(alpha-CD)(2) was not detected; instead, they interconvert by dethreading the second alpha-CD and through the isomerization equilibrium between S.alpha-CD and S.alpha-CD. The reaction volumes, DeltaV(0), were found to be negative for the first three equilibria and positive for the fourth equilibrium. For the first three forward and reverse reactions, the volumes of activation are substantially more negative, indicating a compression of the transition state in comparison with the ground states. These data were used in conjunction with DeltaH, DeltaH degrees, DeltaS, and DeltaS degrees data to deduce the dominant mechanistic threading processes, which appear to be largely controlled by changes in hydration and van der Waals interactions, and possibly by conformational changes in both S and alpha-CD. The structure of the four complexes were deduced from (1)H 2D ROESY NMR studies.

Lipari-Szabo approach as a tool for the analysis of macromolecular gadolinium(III)-based MRI contrast agents illustrated by the [Gd(EGTA-BA-(CH2)12)]nn+ polymer.

The parameters governing the water proton relaxivity of the [Gd(EGTA-BA-(CH2)12)]nn+ polymeric complex were determined through global analysis of 17O NMR, EPR and nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion (NMRD) data [EGTA-BA2- = 3,12-bis(carbamoylmethyl)- 6,9-dioxa-3,12-diazatetradecanedioate(2-)]. The Lipari-Szabo approach that distinguishes the global motion of the polymer (tau g) from the local motion of the Gd(III)-water vector (tau l) was necessary to describe the 1H and 17O longitudinal relaxation rates; therefore for the first time it was included in the global simultaneous analysis of the EPR, 17O NMR and NMRD data. The polymer consists on average of only five monomeric units, which limits the intramolecular hydrophobic interactions operating between the (CH2)12 groups. Hence the global rotational correlation time is not very high (tau g298 = 3880 +/- 750 ps) compared to the corresponding DTPA-BA-based polymer (about 15 monomeric units), where tau g298 = 6500 ps. As a consequence, the relaxivity is limited by the rotation, which precludes the advantage obtained from the fast exchanging chelating unit (kex298 = 2.2 +/- 0.1 x 10(6) s-1).

Towards rational design of fast water-exchanging Gd(dota-like) contrast agents? Importance of the M/m ratio.

1H NMR line-shape analysis and magnetisation-transfer experiments at variable temperature and pressure have been used to elucidate the solution dynamics of both M and m isomers of three [Eu(dota-tetraamide)(H2O)]3+ complexes. The direct 1H NMR observation of the bound water signal allows the water-exchange rates on each isomer to be measured individually. They are definitely independent of the ligand for both M and m isomers (M: k298(ex)=9.4+/-0.2 x 10(3) s(-1) for [Eu(dotam)(H2O)]3+, 8.2+/-0.2 x 10(3) s(-1) for [Eu(dtma)(H2O)]3+ and 11.2+/-1.4 x 10(3) s(-1) for [Eu(dotmam)-(H2O)]3+; m: k298(ex)=474+/-130 x 10(3) s(-1) for [Eu(dotam)(H2O)3+, 357+/-92 x 10(3) s(-1) for [Eu(dtma)(H2O)3+), and proceed through a dissociative mechanism (M isomers: deltaV++ = +4.9 cm3 mol(-1) for [Eu(dotam)(H2O)]3+ and + 6.9 cm3 mol(-1) for [Eu(dtma)(H2O)]3+). The overall water exchange only depends on the M/m isomeric ratio. The m isomer, which exchanges more quickly, is favoured by a-substitution of the ring nitrogen. Therefore the synthesis of DOTA-like ligands, which predominantly form complexes in the m form, should be a sufficient condition to ensure faster water exchange on potential Gd(III)-based contrast agents. Furthermore the activation parameters for the water-exchange and isomerisation processes are both compatible with a nonhydrated complex as intermediate.