Histopathological study of JNK in venous wall of patients with chronic venous insufficiency related to osteogenesis process.

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is one of the most common vascular pathologies worldwide. One of the risk factors for the development of CVI is aging, which is why it is related to senile changes. The main trigger of the changes that occur in the venous walls in CVI is blood flow reflux, which produces increased hydrostatic pressure, leading to valve incompetence. The cellular response is one of the fundamental processes in vascular diseases, causing the activation of cell signalling pathways such as c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Metabolic changes and calcifications occur in vascular pathology as a result of pathophysiological processes. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of JNK in venous disease and its relationship with the role played by the molecules involved in the osteogenic processes in venous tissue calcification. This was a cross-sectional study that analyzed the greater saphenous vein wall in 110 patients with (R) and without venous reflux (NR), classified according to age. Histopathological techniques were used and protein expression was analysed using immunohistochemistry techniques for JNK and markers of osteogenesis (RUNX2, osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN)). Significantly increased JNK, RUNX2, OCN, OPN and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) protein expression and the presence of osseous metaplasia and amorphous calcification were observed in younger patients (<50 years) with venous reflux. This study shows for the first time the existence of an osteogenesis process related to the expression of JNK in the venous wall.

Synthesis of Tertiary Enamides by Ag2CO3-Promoted Pd-Catalyzed Alkenylation of Acyclic Secondary Amides.

A Pd-catalyzed methodology for the preparation of tertiary enamides from acyclic secondary amides and bromo acrylates under mild reaction conditions has been developed using [Pd2(dba)3], XantPhos, and Ag2CO3 as a base. The reaction occurs through a stereospecific metal-mediated oxidative-insertion mechanism.

Chiral nanostructuring of multivalent macrocycles in solution and on surfaces.

We describe the design and synthesis of a novel functionality-rich, homochiral macrocycle, possessing the overall molecular D2 symmetry, in which multivalency is introduced into the covalent framework by means of four suitably positioned pyridine moieties. The macrocycle synthesis is carried out with functionalized, enantiopure 1,1'-binaphthyl synthons as the source of chirality by means of a room temperature esterification reaction as the cyclization procedure. Upon addition of Pd(2+), coordination of the pyridine moieties occurs both intra and intermolecularly, to afford chiral ordered mono and dimeric macrocycles or multimeric aggregates depending on the solvents and conditions used. The metal binding event takes place in combination with a significant macrocyclic conformational rearrangement detected by circular dichroism spectroscopy. When in combination with a third component (C60), the macrocycle-Pd(2+) hybrid undergoes surface-confined nanostructuring into chiral nanofibres.

Peptide nucleic acids in materials science.

This review highlights the recent methods to prepare PNA-based materials through a combination of self-assembly and self-organization processes. The use of these methods allows easy and versatile preparation of structured hybrid materials showing specific recognition properties and unique physicochemical properties at the nano- and micro-scale levels displaying potential applications in several directions, ranging from sensors and microarrays to nanostructured devices for biochips.

[60]Fullerene-based monolayers as neuroprotective biocompatible hybrid materials.

Here we report on the surface immobilization of redox-active [60]fullerene derivatives and the consequent neuroprotective effects toward l-glutamate induced excitotoxicity in human derived undifferentiated neuroblastoma cells.