Atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry of bacteriochlorophylls from Chlorobiaceae: characteristic fragmentations

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (APCI-LC/MS/MS) has been applied to the study of bacteriochlorophylls c, d, and e of phototrophic prokaryotes. Cultures of Chlorobiaceae containing bacteriochlorophyll c, d or e were examined using a high-resolution high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method and APCI-LC/MS/MS employing post-column addition of formic acid. The results reveal complex distributions of bacteriochlorophyll homologues, with some closely eluting species giving isobaric protonated molecules. On-line LC/MS/MS studies reveal characteristic fragment ions for bacteriochlorophylls c, d, and e. Fragmentations involving loss of the extended alkyl substituents that are unique to bacteriochlorophylls c, d and e and their derivatives have been rationalised by studying the phaeophorbides and the results applied to the direct study of the bacteriochlorophylls.

Endostatin modulates VEGF-mediated barrier dysfunction in the retinal microvascular endothelium

Recent evidence indicates that the anti-angiogenic peptide endostatin may modulate some of the vasomodulatory effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the retina, including reduction of blood retinal barrier function although it remains uncertain how endostatin promotes endothelial barrier properties. The current study has sought to examine how physiological levels of endostatin alters VEGF-induced inner BRB function using an in vitro model system and evaluation of occludin and ZO-1 regulatory responses. In addition, the ability of exogenous endostatin to regulate VEGF-mediated retinal vascular permeability in vivo was investigated.

Retinal microvascular endothelial cells (RMEC's) were exposed to various concentrations of endostatin. In parallel studies, RMEC monolayers were treated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165). Vasopermeability of RMEC monolayers and occludin expression were determined.

Blood retinal barrier integrity was quantified in mouse retina using Evans Blue assay following intravitreal delivery of VEGF165, endostatin or a VEGF/endostatin combination.

Endostatin increased the levels of expression of occludin whilst causing no significant change in FITC-dextran flux across the RMEC monolayer. Endostatin reversed the effects of VEGF165-enhanced permeability between microvascular endothelial cells and induced phosphorylation of occludin. Evans Blue leakage from retinas treated with VEGF was 2.0 fold higher than that of contra-lateral untreated eyes (P<0.05) while leakage of eyes from endostatin treated animals was unchanged. When eyes were injected with a combination of VEGF165 and endostatin there was a significant reduction in retinal vasopermeability when compared to VEGF-injected eyes (P<0.05).

We conclude that endostatin can promote integrity of the retinal endothelial barrier, possibly by preventing VEGF-mediated alteration of tight junction integrity. This suggests that endostatin may be of clinical benefit in ocular disorders where significant retinal vasopermeability changes are present.

Measles virus superinfection immunity and receptor redistribution in persistently infected NT2 cells

A recombinant measles virus (MV) expressing red fluorescent protein (MVDsRed1) was used to produce a persistently infected cell line (piNT2-MVDsRed1) from human neural precursor (NT2) cells. A similar cell line (piNT2-MVeGFP) was generated using a virus that expresses enhanced green fluorescent protein. Intracytoplasmic inclusions containing the viral nucleocapsid protein were evident in all cells and viral glycoproteins were present at the cell surface. Nevertheless, the cells did not release infectious virus nor did they fuse to generate syncytia. Uninfected NT2 cells express the MV receptor CD46 uniformly over their surface, whereas CD46 was present in cell surface aggregates in the piNT2 cells. There was no decrease in the overall amount of CD46 in piNT2 compared to NT2 cells. Cell-to-cell fusion was observed when piNT2 cells were overlaid onto confluent monolayers of MV receptor-positive cells, indicating that the viral glycoproteins were correctly folded and processed. Infectious virus was released from the underlying cells, indicating that persistence was not due to gross mutations in the virus genome. Persistently infected cells were superinfected with MV or canine distemper virus and cytopathic effects were not observed. However, mumps virus could readily infect the cells, indicating that superinfection immunity is not caused by general soluble antiviral factors. As MVeGFP and MVDsRed1 are antigenically indistinguishable but phenotypically distinct it was possible to use them to measure the degree of superinfection immunity in the absence of any cytopathic effect. Only small numbers of non-fusing green fluorescent piNT2-MVDsRed1 cells (1 : 300 000) were identified in which superinfecting MVeGFP entered, replicated and expressed its genes.

Predicting physical properties of ionic liquids

A simple method to predict the densities of a range of ionic liquids from their surface tensions, and vice versa, using a surface-tension-weighted molar volume, the parachor, is reported. The parachors of ionic liquids containing 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations were determined experimentally, but were also calculated directly from their structural compositions using existing parachor contribution data for neutral compounds. The calculated and experimentally determined parachors were remarkably similar, and the latter data were subsequently employed to predict the densities and surface tensions of the investigated ionic liquids. Using a similar approach, the molar refractions of ionic liquids were determined experimentally, as well as calculated using existing molar refraction contribution data for uncharged compounds. The calculated molar refraction data were employed to predict the refractive indices of the ionic liquids from their surface tensions. The errors involved in the refractive index predictions were much higher than the analogous predictions employing the parachor, but nevertheless demonstrated the potential for developing parachor and molar refraction contribution data for ions as tools to predict ionic liquid physical properties.

Biotransformation of Substituted Pyridines with Dioxygenase-containing Microorganisms.

A series of 2-, 3- and 4-substituted pyridines was metabolised using the mutant soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida UV4 which contains a toluene dioxygenase (TDO) enzyme. The regioselectivity of the biotransformation in each case was determined by the position of the substituent. 4-Alkylpyridines were hydroxylated exclusively on the ring to give the corresponding 4-substituted 3-hydroxypyridines, while 3-alkylpyridines were hydroxylated stereoselectively on C-1 of the alkyl group with no evidence of ring hydroxylation. 2-Alkylpyridines gave both ring and side-chain hydroxylation products. Choro- and bromo-substituted pyridines, and pyridine itself, while being poor substrates for P. putida UV4, were converted to some extent to the corresponding 3-hydroxypyridines. These unoptimised biotransformations are rare examples of the direct enzyme-catalysed oxidation of pyridine rings and provide a novel synthetic method for the preparation of substituted pyridinols. Evidence for the involvement of the same TDO enzyme in both ring and side-chain hydroxylation pathways was obtained using a recombinant strain of Escherichia coli (pKST11) containing a cloned gene for TDO. The observed stereoselectivity of the side-chain hydroxylation process in P. putida UV4 was complicated by the action of an alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme in the organism which slowly leads to epimerisation of the initial (R)-alcohol bioproducts by dehydrogenation to the corresponding ketones followed by stereoselective reduction to the (S)-alcohols.

Synthesis and characterisation of polymerisable photochromic spiropyrans: towards photomechanical biomaterials

A methodology for the synthesis of novel polymerisable spiropyrans with photomechanical properties suitable for subsequent copolymerisation with either vinyl or acrylate-based biomaterials is described. UV-vis spectroscopic characterisation of photoisomerism shows that photochromic behaviour with respect to related non-polymerisable compounds is retained and is solvent dependent. In acetone, conventional spiropyran-merocyanine photochromism is observed for nitro-spiropyran derivatives, whereas in dichloromethane both nitro-spiropyrans and spiropyrans isomerise to merocyanines which rapidly form H-aggregates. The monomers were designed such that an alkyl spacer of variable length, both electronically and sterically, separates the polymerisable moiety from the photochromic core and allows steric aspects of the resulting photomechanical behaviour to be explored. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of advanced glycation end products in retinal microvascular leukostasis

PURPOSE: A critical event in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy is the inappropriate adherence of leukocytes to the retinal capillaries. Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are known to play a role in chronic inflammatory processes, and the authors postulated that these adducts may play a role in promoting pathogenic increases in proinflammatory pathways within the retinal microvasculature. METHODS: Retinal microvascular endothelial cells (RMECs) were treated with glycoaldehyde-modified albumin (AGE-Alb) or unmodified albumin (Alb). NFkappaB DNA binding was measured by electromobility shift assay (EMSA) and quantified with an ELISA: In addition, the effect of AGEs on leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cell monolayers was investigated. Further studies were performed in an attempt to confirm that this was AGE-induced adhesion by co-incubation of AGE-treated cells with soluble receptor for AGE (sRAGE). Parallel in vivo studies of nondiabetic mice assessed the effect of intraperitoneal delivery of AGE-Alb on ICAM-1 mRNA expression, NFkappaB DNA-binding activity, leukostasis, and blood-retinal barrier breakdown. RESULTS: Treatment with AGE-Alb significantly enhanced the DNA-binding activity of NFkappaB (P = 0.0045) in retinal endothelial cells (RMECs) and increased the adhesion of leukocytes to RMEC monolayers (P = 0.04). The latter was significantly reduced by co-incubation with sRAGE (P <0.01). Mice infused with AGE-Alb demonstrated a 1.8-fold increase in ICAM-1 mRNA when compared with control animals (P <0.001, n = 20) as early as 48 hours, and this response remained for 7 days of treatment. Quantification of retinal NFkappaB demonstrated a threefold increase with AGE-Alb infusion in comparison to control levels (AGE Alb versus Alb, 0.23 vs. 0.076, P <0.001, n = 10 mice). AGE-Alb treatment of mice also caused a significant increase in leukostasis in the retina (AGE-Alb versus Alb, 6.89 vs. 2.53, n = 12, P <0.05) and a statistically significant increase in breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier (AGE Alb versus Alb, 8.2 vs. 1.6 n = 10, P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: AGEs caused upregulation of NFkappaB in the retinal microvascular endothelium and an AGE-specific increase in leukocyte adhesion in vitro was also observed. In addition, increased leukocyte adherence in vivo was demonstrated that was accompanied by blood-retinal barrier dysfunction. These findings add further evidence to the thinking that AGEs may play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy.