Zinc phthalocyanines attached to gold nanorods for simultaneous hyperthermic and photodynamic therapies against melanoma in vitro.

Studies indicate that hyperthermic therapy using gold nanorods and photodynamic activity with many photosensitizers can present a synergistic effect, and offer a great therapeutic potential, although more investigation needs to be performed before such approach could be implemented. We proposed to investigate the effect of the attachment of phthalocyanines on the surface of gold nanorods (well-characterized devices for hyperthermia generation) for the elimination of melanoma, one of the most important skin cancers due to its high lethality. Following the synthesis of nanorods through a seed-mediated method, the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and hyperthermia was assessed separately. We chose to coat the nanorods with two tetracarboxylated zinc phthalocyanines - with or without methyl-glucamine groups. After the coating process, the phthalocyanines formed ionic complexes with the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) that was previously covering the nanoparticles. The nanorod-phthalocyanines complexes were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and their singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical generation yields were assessed. Furthermore, they were tested in vitro with melanotic B16F10 and amelanotic B16G4F melanoma cells. The cells with nanoparticles were irradiated with laser (at 635nm), and the cell viability was assessed. The results indicate that the photodynamic properties of the phthalocyanines tested are enhanced when they are attached on the nanorods surface, and the combination of PDT and hyperthermia was able to eliminate over 90% of melanoma cells. This is a novel study because two tetracarboxylated phthalocyanines were used and because the same wavelength was irradiated to activate both the nanorods and the photosensitizers.

Dipyridamole increases the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in human larynx cancer cells in vitro.

This paper describes the effect of dipyridamole (DIP) on the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in HEp-2 human larynx cancer cells in vitro and the nature of the interaction between cisplatin and dipyridamole. Cytotoxic assays were performed to obtain the IC50 for cisplatin. The cells were treated with 0, 20, 40, 80, 120 or 200 microM cisplatin, with or without a single concentration of DIP and incubated for 60 min at 37 masculine C and 5% CO2 for 3 days and then counted with a hemocytometer. The accumulation of cisplatin in the cells was measured by atomic absorption and fluorescence was used to determine the membrane binding constant of DIP. In the presence of 10, 20 and 30 microM DIP, the IC50 of cisplatin was reduced by 25, 60 and 82% in HEp-2 cells. Combination index analysis revealed that cisplatin and DIP interact synergistically. In larynx cancer cells, the accumulation of cisplatin increased by 13, 27 and 65% as the DIP concentration was increased from 10 to 20 and 30 microM, respectively. The binding constant of DIP to the cell membrane was estimated to be 0.36 +/- 0.12 mg/ml(-1) (N = 2) by fluorescence and cisplatin did not suppress DIP fluorescence. These results suggest that DIP significantly enhances cisplatin cytotoxicity in HEp-2 cells by increasing cisplatin accumulation, probably by altering the cell membrane as suggested by its binding constant. The results obtained reinforce the importance of combination therapy to reduce the doses of chemotherapeutic drugs and therefore the side effects of chemotherapy.

Dipyridamole increases the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in human larynx cancer cells in vitro

This paper describes the effect of dipyridamole (DIP) on the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in HEp-2 human larynx cancer cells in vitro and the nature of the interaction between cisplatin and dipyridamole. Cytotoxic assays were performed to obtain the IC50 for cisplatin. The cells were treated with 0, 20, 40, 80, 120 or 200 µM cisplatin, with or without a single concentration of DIP and incubated for 60 min at 37ºC and 5 percent CO2 for 3 days and then counted with a hemocytometer. The accumulation of cisplatin in the cells was measured by atomic absorption and fluorescence was used to determine the membrane binding constant of DIP. In the presence of 10, 20 and 30 µM DIP, the IC50 of cisplatin was reduced by 25, 60 and 82 percent in HEp-2 cells. Combination index analysis revealed that cisplatin and DIP interact synergistically. In larynx cancer cells, the accumulation of cisplatin increased by 13, 27 and 65 percent as the DIP concentration was increased from 10 to 20 and 30 µM, respectively. The binding constant of DIP to the cell membrane was estimated to be 0.36 ± 0.12 mg/ml (N = 2) by fluorescence and cisplatin did not suppress DIP fluorescence. These results suggest that DIP significantly enhances cisplatin cytotoxicity in HEp-2 cells by increasing cisplatin accumulation, probably by altering the cell membrane as suggested by its binding constant. The results obtained reinforce the importance of combination therapy to reduce the doses of chemotherapeutic drugs and therefore the side effects of chemotherapy.

The effect of porphyrins on normal and transformed mouse cell lines in the presence of visible light.

Photodynamic therapy consists of the uptake of a photosensitizing dye, often a porphyrin, by tumor tissue and subsequent irradiation of the tumor with visible light of an appropriate wavelength matched to the absorption spectrum of the photosensitizing dye. This class of molecules produces reactive oxygen species when activated by light, resulting in a direct or indirect cytotoxic effect on the target cells. Photodynamic therapy has been used in the treatment of cancer but the technology has a potential for the treatment of several disease conditions mainly because of its selectivity. However, it is not clear why the porphyrins are retained preferentially by abnormal tissue. This paper describes a study of the effect of the association of porphyrin and visible light on two mouse fibroblast cell lines: A31, normal cells and B61, an EJ-ras transformed variant of A31. Two water-soluble porphyrins were used, a positively charged one, tetra(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphyrin chloride, and a negatively charged one, tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin-Na salt (TPPS4) in order to assess the effect on cell survival. The results suggest that the B61 cell line is more sensitive to incubation with the anionic porphyrin (TPPS4) followed by light irradiation and that the anionic porphyrin is more efficient in killing the cells than the cationic porphyrin.

The effect of porphyrins on normal and transformed mouse cell lines in the presence of visible light

Photodynamic therapy consists of the uptake of a photosensitizing dye, often a porphyrin, by tumor tissue and subsequent irradiation of the tumor with visible light of an appropriate wavelength matched to the absorption spectrum of the photosensitizing dye. This class of molecules produces reactive oxygen species when activated by light, resulting in a direct or indirect cytotoxic effect on the target cells. Photodynamic therapy has been used in the treatment of cancer but the technology has a potential for the treatment of several disease conditions mainly because of its selectivity. However, it is not clear why the porphyrins are retained preferentially by abnormal tissue. This paper describes a study of the effect of the association of porphyrin and visible light on two mouse fibroblast cell lines: A31, normal cells and B61, an EJ-ras transformed variant of A31. Two water-soluble porphyrins were used, a positively charged one, tetra(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphyrin chloride, and a negatively charged one, tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin-Na salt (TPPS4) in order to assess the effect on cell survival. The results suggest that the B61 cell line is more sensitive to incubation with the anionic porphyrin (TPPS4) followed by light irradiation and that the anionic porphyrin is more efficient in killing the cells than the cationic porphyrin

Binding of the Mn(III) complex of meso-tetrakis (4-N-methyl-pyridiniumyl) porphyrin to DNA. Effect of ionic strength.

Interactions of the water-soluble Mn(III) complex of meso-tetrakis (4-N-methyl-pyridiniumyl) porphyrin (Mn(III)TMPyP) with DNA in aqueous solutions at low (0.01 M) and high (0.2 M) ionic strengths have been studied by optical absorption, resonance light scattering (RLS) and 1H NMR spectroscopies. Optical absorption and RLS measurements have demonstrated that in DNA solutions at low ionic strength the Mn(III)TMPyP form aggregates, which are decomposed at DNA excess. At high ionic strength the aggregation was not observed. We explain this effect by assuming that upon increase in ionic strength, Mn(III) TMPyP dislocates from the DNA sites, which produces better conditions for the porphyrin aggregation, to sites where the aggregation is hindered. The 1H NMR data demonstrated that the aggregation observed at low ionic strength reduces the paramagnetism of Mn(III)TMPyP. This phenomenon was not observed at the high ionic strength in the absence of aggregation.

Spectroscopic studies of the met form of the extracellular hemoglobin from Glossoscolex paulistus.

Sephadex G-200 chromatography of the extracellular hemoglobin from the giant earthworm G. paulistus in the met form presents a single peak at pH 7.0 and two peaks at pH 9.0 as a result of alkaline dissociation. SDS-PAGE shows that the polypeptide chains are very similar to those observed for the oxy form and the two peaks at pH 9.0 correspond to the trimer contaminated by linkers and monomers which seems to be quite pure. The aquomet acid form is stable as an oligomer of molecular mass 3.1 x 10(6) Da only in a narrow pH range around neutrality. Increasing the pH above 7.5 leads to an irreversible transition from aquomet to hemichrome I which is the low-spin bis-imidazole complex. At pHs above 9.5-10.0 a second reversible transition takes place from hemichrome I to hemichrome II, a high-spin complex which is associated with the weakening and possible disruption of the proximal Fe--N histidine bond. Thus, increase in pH above 8.0 induces changes in the heme pocket that involve both the distal and proximal sides of the heme. EPR measurements show a very sharp decrease of the aquomet high-spin signal in the range of pH 7.0-8.0 and a very small low-spin signal even at liquid helium temperatures. The transition to hemichrome I is also accompanied by the loss of heme optical activity monitored by CD, which is consistent with the weakening of heme--globin interaction. Hemichrome I in the presence of cyanide gives the typical cyanometHb derivative which has a transition to a hemichrome at much higher pHs. This observation suggests that the dissociation of the oligomer in alkaline medium as well as the stability of the heme on the proximal side, depend both upon the ligand present at the sixth coordination position on the distal side. Hence, we believe that hemi(hemo)chrome formation in G. paulistus Hb and other invertebrate hemoglobins is a common phenomenon, not associated with protein denaturation, which may provide a fine tuning mechanism to control subunit interactions through changes in the distal side of the heme pocket.

Proton relaxation and spin label studies of papaverine localization in ionic micelles.

The localization of papaverine (PAV) in micelles of zwitter-ionic N-hexadecyl-N, N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate (HPS), cationic cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), and anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in D2O was studied by 1H NMR and ESR in the presence and absence of 5-doxyl- or 12-doxyl-stearic acid. PAV, surfactants, and spin probes are characterized by restricted anisotropic motion in micelles. The rotational correlation time of doxyl fragment was in the range of 0.2 to 0.5 nanoseconds. Binding of PAV to micelles decreases the mobility of both probes, suggesting the localization of PAV inside the hydrophobic part of micelles near the micelle-water interface. According to the NOE data, the methoxy groups of PAV are located in the vicinity of the nitrogen atom in CTAC and HPS micelles, the methoxy groups of the PAV heterocycle being immersed slightly deeper inside the micelle. The T1 relaxation enhancements by two different spin probes show that the H5 and methoxy substituents of the PAV heterocycle are in close proximity to the alpha-CH2 of acyl chains in all types of micelles, whereas H3 and H12 are the most distant from the alpha-CH2. No significant differences were found for the protonated and neutral PAV in SDS micelles at pD 4.9 and 11.2. These data show that the geometry of the PAV-micelle complex is practically independent of the PAV charge and surfactant head-group.

Interaction of primaquine and chloroquine with ionic micelles as studied by 1H NMR and electronic absorption spectroscopy.

The characteristics of binding of primaquine (PQ) and chloroquine (CQ) to micelles of surfactants with different charge of headgroups were studied by 1H-NMR and optical absorption spectroscopy. Cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) was used as a cationic surfactant, sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) as an anionic surfactant and N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propane-sulfonate (HPS) as zwitterionic. The pK values and binding constants were estimated. Interaction with SDS significantly increases an apparent pK of PQ and CQ. However, chemical shift patterns and values of binding constants in the presence of different surfactants show that mode of interaction of charged drugs with micelles is nonspecific, since the complexes formed are similar for different types of surfactants. Electrostatic forces alter the affinity between drugs and micelles bearing charged groups. Interaction of drugs with cationic micelles is prevented if the drug has two positive charges. HPS interacts with charged drugs in the same manner as CTAC rather than SDS.

Ionization and binding equilibria of papaverine in ionic micelles studied by 1H NMR and optical absorption spectroscopy.

The binding of the vasodilator drug papaverine (PAV) to micelles of zwitterionic N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate (HPS), cationic cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) and anionic sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) in aqueous solution was studied by 1H NMR and electronic absorption spectroscopy. In the presence of HPS or CTAC, the apparent pK(a) of PAV decreased by about 2 units, while it increased by about 2 units upon binding to SDS. However, the chemical shift patterns of both protonated (PAVH+) and deprotonated (PAV0) forms of PAV are not sensitive to the type of surfactant. The association constants were estimated as 5 +/- 2 M(-1) for PAVH+-CTAC, 8 +/- 3 M(-1) for PAVH+-HPS, (7 +/- 2) x 10(5) M(-1) for PAVH+-SDS, and 1.5 x 10(3) to 3.0 x 10(3) M(-1) for the complexes of PAV0 with all three types of micelles. Using these data, an electrostatic potential difference on the micelle-water interface was calculated as 150 +/- 10 mV for CTAC, 140 +/- 10 mV for HPS and - 140 +/- 10 mV for SDS. The results suggest that PAV aromatic rings are located in the hydrophobic part of the micelle. The electrostatic attraction or repulsion of the protonated quinoline nitrogen and surfactant headgroups changes the affinity of PAV to micelles and, thus, shifts the ionization equilibrium of PAV. The electrostatic potential of HPS micellar surface is determined by the cationic dimethylammonium headgroup fragment, whereas the anionic sulfate fragment attenuates the effective charge of HPS headgroup.

Interaction of papaverine with micelles of surfactants with different charge studied by 1H-NMR.

The interaction of the vasodilator drug papaverine (PAV) with micelles of surfactants with different charge of headgroups as well as the properties of PAV in D2O solution were studied by 1H-NMR. At pD values above 6.4 deprotonated PAV molecules tend to precipitate, the signals of the heterocycle protons of solubilized PAV molecules being shifted to high field. At PAV concentration above 1 mM its protons experience upfield shifts which increase with pD value and are due to the stacking of aromatic rings. Incorporation into micelles caused shifts of all resonances. This effect is due to changes in the local chemical environment of PAV rather than to stacking, and, possibly, involves the deprotonation of the N atom of PAV heterocycle. Line broadening of PAV protons at the molar ratio surfactant/PAV > 16 indicated their restricted mobility. Different complexes were formed due to interaction between the heterocycle of PAV and polar headgroups of cationic cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) or anionic sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS). The binding of PAV to zwitterionic N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate (HPS) is similar to that of PAV to CTAC. Association constants were estimated from NMR data as 20, 60 and 350 M-1 at pD = 4.9 +/- 0.1 for HPS, CTAC and SDS, respectively. Thus, the mode of binding of PAV to HPS is defined by the cationic dimethylammonium headgroup fragment, whereas the negative fragment attenuates the effective charge of HPS headgroup.

An ESR study of pathologic red blood cell membranes (RBCM).

A comparative study of red blood cell membranes from normal subjects and beta-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia patients was performed by spin labeling at the lipidic and protein phase. The results show that the quantity of bound spin label is the same for sickle, thalassemic, and normal membranes. The data from 5-doxyl stearic acid suggest an increase in fluidity for the thalassemic membrane.

Characterization of protein spin labeling by maleimide: evidence for nitroxide reduction.

A quantitative determination of maleimide spin label (MAL) binding in oxi and met hemoglobin (Hb) and bovine serum albumin are investigated using double integration to the ESR signal. This determination permitted the observation that a considerable fraction of MAL is reduced, losing its paramagnetism. Experiments using the same spin label with myoglobin and Hb with blocked-SH groups, where reduction was not observed, indicate the involvement of SH groups in the process. The 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidino-1-oxyl spin label (which is not able to bind in the SH group) is reduced too, but the dependence on the molar ratio is different in comparison with the MAL case. In both cases the reduction percentage depends on the molar ratio spin label to protein and to the protein concentration. In order to obtain the total SH groups labeled (two in the Hb case) it is necessary to use an excessive amount of label (around 18:1) in the 0.5 mM Hb concentration.