Radiolabeled multi-layered coated gold nanoparticles as potential biocompatible PET/SPECT tracers.

The demand for tailored, disease-adapted, and easily accessible radiopharmaceuticals is one of the most persistent challenges in nuclear imaging precision medicine. The aim of this work was to develop two multimodal radiotracers applicable for both SPECT and PET techniques, which consist of a gold nanoparticle core, a shell involved in radioisotope entrapment, peripherally placed targeting molecules, and biocompatibilizing polymeric sequences. Shell decoration with glucosamine units located in sterically hindered molecular environments is expected to result in nanoparticle accumulation in high-glucose-consuming areas. Gold cores were synthesized using the Turkevich method, followed by citrate substitution with linear PEG α,ω-functionalized with thiol and amine groups. The free amine groups facilitated the binding of branched polyethyleneimine through an epoxy ring-opening reaction by using PEG α,ω-diglycidyl ether as a linker. Afterwards, the glucose-PEG-epoxy prepolymer has been grafted onto the surface of AuPEG-PEI conjugates. Finally, the AuPEG-PEI-GA conjugates were radiolabeled with 99mTc or 68Ga. Instant thin-layer chromatography was used to evaluate the radiolabeling yield. The biocompatibility of non-labeled and 99mTc or 68Ga labeled nanoparticles was assessed on normal fibroblasts. The 99mTc complexes remained stable for over 22 hours, while the 68Ga containing ones revealed a slight decrease in stability after 1 hour.

Quantification of Low Amounts of Zoledronic Acid by HPLC-ESI-MS Analysis: Method Development and Validation.

Zoledronic acid (ZA) is used in the treatment of various bone pathologies, but it forms complexes with calcium ions present in body fluids, decreasing ZA bioavailability. Thereby, the study first describes the identification of ZA-calcium complexes that form in calcium-rich environments, in order to establish the bioavailable ZA concentration. Then, a new method for quantification of low ZA amounts in milieus that mimics in vivo conditions by using simulated body fluid and calcium sulfate hemihydrate was described. Almost all analytical methods of ZA quantification described in the literature require compound derivatization. At very low concentrations, derivatization is prone to analyte loss, therefore compromising the analytical results. In our study, we avoided ZA derivatization by using a high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) system, conducting the investigation based on the fragmentation mass extracted ion chromatograms specific to the ZA protonated form. The method was validated by selectivity, precision, accuracy, linearity, signal to noise ratio, and limit of detection and limit of quantification calculation. Experimentally, this method can detect ranges of 0.1-0.5 ng/mL and precisely quantify ZA concentrations as low as 0.1 ng/mL. This method could provide the basis for quantifying low amounts of ZA in the blood during long-term administration.

In silico study of PEI-PEG-squalene-dsDNA polyplex formation: the delicate role of the PEG length in the binding of PEI to DNA.

Biocompatible hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) is widely used in biomedical applications, such as drug or gene delivery, tissue engineering or as an antifouling component in biomedical devices. Experimental studies have shown that the size of PEG can weaken polycation-polyanion interactions, like those between branched polyethyleneimine (b-PEI) and DNA in gene carriers, but details of its cause and underlying interactions on the atomic scale are still not clear. To better understand the interaction mechanisms in the formation of polyplexes between b-PEI-PEG based carriers and DNA, we have used a combination of in silico tools and experiments on three multicomponent systems differing in PEG MW. Using the PEI-PEG-squalene-dsDNA systems of the same size, both in the all-atom MD simulations and in experimental in-gel electrophoresis measurements, we found that the binding between DNA and the vectors is highly influenced by the size of PEG, with the binding efficiency increasing with a shorter PEG length. The mechanism of how PEG interferes with the binding between PEI and DNA is explained using a two-step MD simulation protocol that showed that the DNA-vector interactions are influenced by the PEG length due to the hydrogen bond formation between PEI and PEG. Although computationally demanding we find it important to study molecular systems of the same size both in silico and in a laboratory and to simulate the behaviour of the carrier prior to the addition of bioactive molecules to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the formation of the polyplex.

Tellurides bearing benzensulfonamide as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors with potent antitumor activity.

We evaluated in vitro a series of telluride containing compounds bearing the benzenesulfonamide group, as effective inhibitors of the physiologically relevant human (h) expressed Carbonic Anhydrase (CA; EC 4.2.1.1) enzymes I, II, IV VII and IX. The potent effects of such compounds against the tumor-associated hCA IX being low nanomolar inhibitors (KI 2.2 to 2.9 nM) and with good selectivity over the ubiquitous hCA II, gave the possibility to evaluate their lethal effect in vitro against a breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231). Among the series, both compounds 3a and 3g induced significant toxic effects against tumor cells after 48 h incubation. Under normoxic condition 3a showed high efficacy killing over 94% of tumor cells at 1 µM, and derivative 3g reached the tumor cell viability under the 5% at 10 µM. In hypoxic condition, these two compounds showed less effective although retained excellent cancer cell killer. These unusual features make them interesting lead compounds acting as antitumor agents also in tumor types not dependent from hCA IX overexpression.

Crystal Structure of a Tetrameric Type II ß-Carbonic Anhydrase from the Pathogenic Bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei.

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is a zinc enzyme that catalyzes the reversible conversion of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate and proton. Currently, CA inhibitors are widely used as antiglaucoma, anticancer, and anti-obesity drugs and for the treatment of neurological disorders. Recently, the potential use of CA inhibitors to fight infections caused by protozoa, fungi, and bacteria has emerged as a new research line. In this article, the X-ray crystal structure of ß-CA from Burkholderia pseudomallei was reported. The X-ray crystal structure of this new enzyme was solved at 2.7 Å resolution, revealing a tetrameric type II ß-CA with a "closed" active site in which the zinc is tetrahedrally coordinated to Cys46, Asp48, His102, and Cys105. B. pseudomallei is known to encode at least two CAs, a ß-CA, and a γ-CA. These proteins, playing a pivotal role in its life cycle and pathogenicity, offer a novel therapeutic opportunity to obtain antibiotics with a different mechanism of action. Furthermore, the new structure can provide a clear view of the ß-CA mechanism of action and the possibility to find selective inhibitors for this class of CAs.

Sulfonamide Inhibition Studies of an α-Carbonic Anhydrase from Schistosoma mansoni, a Platyhelminth Parasite Responsible for Schistosomiasis.

Schistosomiasis is a debilitating infection provoked by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. The species Schistosoma mansoni is endemic in Africa, where it causes intestinal schistosomiasis. Recently, an α-carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) was cloned and characterized from this organism and designated as SmCA. The protein is expressed in the tegument (skin) of S. mansoni at the host-parasite interface. Recombinant SmCA possesses high catalytic activity in the CO2 hydration reaction, similar to that of human CA isoform II with a kcat of 1.2 × 106 s-1 and a kcat/KM of 1.3 × 108 M-1·s-1. It has been found that schistosomes whose SmCA gene is suppressed using RNA interference are unable to establish a robust infection in mice, suggesting that the chemicals that inhibit SmCA function should have the same debilitating effect on the parasites. In this study, a collection of aromatic/heterocyclic sulfonamides were investigated as possible SmCA inhibitors. Several sulfonamides inhibited SmCA with medium to weak potency (KI values of 737.2 nM-9.25 µM), whereas some heterocyclic compounds inhibited the enzyme with KI values in the range of 124-325 nM. The α-CA from S. mansoni, SmCA, is proposed as a new anti-schistosomiasis drug target.

Evaluation of Thio- and Seleno-Acetamides Bearing Benzenesulfonamide as Inhibitor of Carbonic Anhydrases from Different Pathogenic Bacteria.

A series of 2-thio- and 2-seleno-acetamides bearing the benzenesulfonamide moiety were evaluated as Carbonic Anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitors against different pathogenic bacteria such as the Vibrio cholerae (VchCA-α and VchCA-ß), Burkholderia pseudomallei (BpsCA-ß and BpsCA-γ), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Rv3723-ß) and the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (StCA2-ß). The molecules represent interesting leads worth developing as innovative antibacterial agents since they possess new mechanism of action and isoform selectivity preferentially against the bacterial expressed CAs. The identification of potent and selective inhibitors of bacterial CAs may lead to tools also useful for deciphering the physiological role(s) of such proteins.

New insights into human hair: SAXS, SEM, TEM and EDX for Alopecia Areata investigations.

BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA) is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease and affects up to 2% of the population. There is a need for a more profound and rigorous understanding of the structure and composition of human hair affected by AA in order to manage this disease. The aim of this article is to understand the effects of AA on the structure and composition of human hair. METHODS: Several physico-chemical investigation methods, such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), and microbeam Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), were used to analyze human hair samples obtained from healthy donors and patients with AA. RESULTS: SEM revealed more severe hair surface defects for the white regrown hair (W-AA) samples. TEM showed the presence of air-like vesicles located in the endocuticle of regrown hair. Analysis of ultrathin sections of W-AA showed the existence of empty vesicles and smaller melanin granules compared to control samples. SAXS demonstrated that unaffected hair of patients with AA (B-AA) and W-AA melanin aggregates are different in their sizes and shapes compared to the control samples. EDX data showed that W-AA elemental composition was significantly different from the other sample groups. Our study showcases promising non-invasive techniques for a better and more accurate understanding of changes in the internal structure and composition of hair affected by AA.

Probing the supramolecular features via π-π interaction of a di-iminopyrene-di-benzo-18-crown-6-ether compound: experimental and theoretical study.

A novel DPyDB-C[double bond, length as m-dash]N-18C6 compound was synthesised by linking a pyrene moiety to each phenyl group of dibenzo-18-crown-6-ether, the crown ether, through -HC[double bond, length as m-dash]N- bonds and characterized by FTIR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, TGA, and DSC techniques. The quantitative 13C-NMR analysis revealed the presence of two position isomers. The electronic structure of the DPyDB-C[double bond, length as m-dash]N-18C6 molecule was characterized by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopies in four solvents with different polarities to observe particular behavior of isomers, as well as to demonstrate a possible non-bonding chemical association (such as ground- and excited-state associations, namely, to probe if there were forming dimers/excimers). The interpretation of the electronic structure was realized through QM calculations. The TD-CAM-B3LYP functional, at the 6-311+G(d,p) basis set, indicated the presence of predominant π → π* and mixed π → π* + n → π* transitions, in line with the UV-vis experimental data. Even though DPyDB-C[double bond, length as m-dash]N-18C6 computational studies revealed a π-extended conjugation effect with predominantly π → π* transitions, thorough fluorescence analysis was observed a weak emission, as an effect of PET and ACQ. In particular, the WAXD analysis of powder and thin films obtained from n-hexane, 1,2-dichloroethane, and ethanol indicated an amorphous organization, whereas from toluene a smectic ordering was obtained. These results were correlated with MD simulation, and it was observed that the molecular geometry of DPyDB-C[double bond, length as m-dash]N-18C6 molecule played a defining role in the pyrene stacking arrangement.

The first activation study of the ß-carbonic anhydrases from the pathogenic bacteria Brucella suis and Francisella tularensis with amines and amino acids.

The activation of the ß-class carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) from the bacteria Brucella suis and Francisella tularensis with amine and amino acids was investigated. BsuCA 1 was sensitive to activation with amino acids and amines, whereas FtuCA was not. The most effective BsuCA 1 activators were L-adrenaline and D-Tyr (KAs of 0.70-0.95 µM). L-His, L-/D-Phe, L-/D-DOPA, L-Trp, L-Tyr, 4-amino-L-Phe, dopamine, 2-pyridyl-methylamine, D-Glu and L-Gln showed activation constants in the range of 0.70-3.21 µM. FtuCA was sensitive to activation with L-Glu (KA of 9.13 µM). Most of the investigated compounds showed a weak activating effect against FtuCA (KAs of 30.5-78.3 µM). Many of the investigated amino acid and amines are present in high concentrations in many tissues in vertebrates, and their role in the pathogenicity of the two bacteria is poorly understood. Our study may bring insights in processes connected with invasion and pathogenic effects of intracellular bacteria.

Inhibition of bacterial α-, ß- and γ-class carbonic anhydrases with selenazoles incorporating benzenesulfonamide moieties.

A series of benzenesulfonamides incorporating selenazoles with diverse substitution patterns were investigated as inhibitors of six bacterial carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) from bacterial pathogens, such as Helicobacter pylori (hpCAα was the investigated enzyme), Vibrio cholerae (all the three CAs from this pathogen were considered, VchCAα, VchCAß and VchCAγ) and Burkholderia pseudomallei (with its two CAs, BpsCAß and BpsCAγ). All these sulfonamides were effective CA inhibitors, with potencies in the low micromolar or submicromolar range, making them attractive as lead compounds for designing antibacterials with a novel mechanism of action, which could counteract the extensive resistance problem observed with many clinically used antibiotics.

Inhibition of α-, ß-, γ-, δ-, ζ- and η-class carbonic anhydrases from bacteria, fungi, algae, diatoms and protozoans with famotidine.

Famotidine, an antiulcer drug belonging to the H2 antagonists class of pharmacological agents, was recently shown to potently inhibit human (h) and bacterial carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1). We investigated the inhibitory effects of famotidine against all classes of CAs from the pathogenic bacteria Vibrio cholerae, Burkholderia pseudomallei and Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv3273 ß-CA, as well as the CAs from the nonpathogenic bacteria/cyanobacteria Sulfurihydrogenibium yellowstonensis, S. azorense, Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis, Colwellia psychrerythraea and Nostoc commune. The δ- and ζ-CAs from the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, the fungal enzymes from Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida glabrata and Malassezia globosa, as well as the protozoan enzymes from Trypanosoma cruzi and Plasmodium falciparum, were also investigated. Anopheles gambiae ß-CA was also investigated. All these enzymes were effectively inhibited by famotidine, with affinities between the low nanomolar to the micromolar range. The best inhibition was observed against C. glabrata ß-CA and TweCAζ, with KIs ranging between 13.6 and 22.1 nM.

Biomacromolecular-based ionic-covalent hydrogels for cell encapsulation: The atelocollagen - Oxidized polysaccharides couples.

Mixed crosslinked networks of ionic-covalent entanglement type were prepared starting from ternary mixtures of atelocollagen (aK; as fibrillary matrix generator), sodium hyaluronate (NaHyal; a microfibrillation assistant), and oxidized polysaccharides (OxPolys; as both cross-linkers and matrix fillers), and were tested as hydrogels for eukaryotic cell encapsulation. Either oxidized gellan (GellOx) or pullulan (PullOx) were used. An original procedure and optimal hydrogel recipes were developed to encapsulate fibroblasts and adipose-derived stem cells, while preserving their viability and proliferative ability during ex vivo temporarily storage. Physical-chemical, rheological, and biocompatibility properties of the prepared hydrogels were compared against the classic alginate hydrogel used for cell encapsulation. A larger range of material characteristics (from lax to stiff) and better laboratory maneuverability were demonstrated, which permit to design appropriate compositions for particular cell types. All hydrogels undergo fast liquefaction at temperatures between 42 and 50°C, permitting the cell release after a short innocuous thermal shock.

Hybrid fullerene conjugates as vectors for DNA cell-delivery.

The present study reports fullerene conjugates that act as efficient binders of double stranded DNA (dsDNA) into cytofriendly polyplexes. The conjugates are designed to generate dendrimeric structures, having C60 as the core and bearing linear or branched PEI and polyethyleneglycol (PEG) arms (∼2 kDa). Simple and reproducible synthesis pathways provided C60-PEI and C60-PEG-PEI conjugates. They were able to bind linear and plasmidic dsDNA and they form particulate polyplexes of 50 to 200 nm in diameter. The resulted polyplexes toggle between the anionic and cationic state at nitrogen to phosphorous ratios (N/P) of about 5, as revealed by their zeta potential and became colloidally stable at N/P ratios above 10, as determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). They are electrophoretically unbreakable starting with N/P ratios of 3 and of 5 when salmon sperm DNA and pEYFP-C1 plasmid, respectively are loaded. Both C60-PEI·pEYFP and C60-PEG-PEI·pEYFP polyplexes are non-cytotoxic against HEK 293T cells in culture and exhibit transfection efficiency better than 25% (N/P ratios above 20) and 6% (N/P ratios above 60) respectively, measured by flow cytometry. For comparison, the commercial SuperFect® from Qiagen (positive control) was able to provide an efficiency of 15-20%, under similar conditions. Moreover, the C60-PEG-PEI conjugate is as performant as the positive control in terms of expression of EYFP reporter gene in cultured cells and exhibited high cytocompatibility, determining cell proliferation up to 200%. Our study proved that C60-PEG-PEI is effective vector for DNA delivery being, in addition, easily synthesizable, practically non-cytotoxic and as efficient the commercially available transfection tools.

Flexible cyclic siloxane core enhances the transfection efficiency of polyethylenimine-based non-viral gene vectors.

Transfection of nucleic acid molecules, large enough to interfere with the genetic mechanisms of active cells, can be performed by means of small carriers, able to collectively collaborate in generating cargocomplexes that could be involved in passive mechanisms of cellular uptake. The present work describes the synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of transfection efficacy of a conjugate molecule, which comprises a cyclic siloxane ring (2,4,6,8-tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane, cD4 H) as the core, and, on average, 3.76 molecules of 2 kDa polyethyleneimine (PEI) as cationic branches, with an average molecular mass of 7.3 kDa. As demonstrated by in silico molecular modeling and dynamic simulation, the conjugate molecule (cD4 H-AGE-PEI) tends to adopt an asymmetric structure, specific for amphipathic molecules (confirmed by a log P value of -1.902 ± 0.06), that favors a rapid interaction with nucleic acids. The conjugate and the polyplexes with the pEYFP plasmid were proved to be non-cytotoxic, and capable of ensuring transfection yields better than 30%, on HEK 293T cell culture, superior to the value obtained using the SuperFect® reagent. We presume that the increased transfection efficacy originates in the ability of the conjugate to locally tightly encompass pDNA molecules by electrostatic interaction mediated by the short PEI branches, and consequently to expose the siloxane hydrophobic moiety, which decreases the interaction energy with the lipid layers.

Property peculiarities of the atelocollagen-hyaluronan conjugates crosslinked with a short chain di-oxirane compound.

Minimal amounts of a short-chain bifunctional crosslinker of about 1.3 nm length, the 1,4-butanediol-diglycidyl ether (BDDGE), were used to generate atelocollagen-hyaluronan conjugates in hydrogel state. Two a priori constraints were considered in recipe/procedure developing: (i) working in nondenaturing conditions, and (ii) ensuring a low cytotoxicity of the final product. Both atelocollagen (aK) and hyaluronan (NaHyal) were accurately purified to reduce their molecular-weight dispersity, in order to ensure the reproducibility of hydrogels characteristics. 1:5 aK:NaHyal weight ratios and 1:2.5 to 1:5 α-NH2:BDDGE molar ratios were found to be the most favorable recipe prescriptions that allow the obtaining of rheo-mechanically stable hydrogels, able to be manipulated during cell culturing protocols. Experiments revealed two unexpected effects due to the crosslinking reactions mediated by a short-chain molecule: (i) the occurrence of two thresholds in the rheological behavior of the hydrogels, related with the amount of added crosslinker, and (ii) a quasi-denaturation side-effect induced over the protein component by large or in excess amounts of crosslinker.

Low toxicity ß-cyclodextrin-caged 4,4'-bipyridinium-bis(siloxane): synthesis and evaluation.

The toxicity of viologens can be significantly reduced by including them in tight [2]rotaxane structures alongside ß-cyclodextrin, thus turning them into candidates of pharmaceutical interest. Here, we report a synthesis pathway for a benign viologen, by capping a small ß-cyclodextrin-caged molecule, the 4,4'-bipyridine, with minimal-length presynthesized axle-stopper segments of the propyl-3-pentamethyldisiloxane type. After 90 min from the oral administration to laboratory mice, the product concentration in the bloodstream reaches a value equivalent to 0.634% of the initial dose of 800 mg·kg(-1). As compared to the nude viologen having the same structure, which proved to be lethal in doses of 40 mg·kg(-1), the product induces reversible morphological changes in the liver, kidney, lung, and cerebellum, up to a dose of 400 mg·kg(-1), with higher dosages giving rise to a chronic slow evolution.