Phosphorescence Kinetics of Singlet Oxygen Produced by Photosensitization in Spherical Nanoparticles. Part II. The Case of Hypericin-Loaded Low-Density Lipoprotein Particles

Singlet Oxygen Photophysics: From Liquid Solvents to Mammalian Cells

Molecular oxygen, O2, has long provided a cornerstone for studies in chemistry, physics, and biology. Although the triplet ground state, O2(X3Σg-), has garnered much attention, the lowest excited electronic state, O2(a1Δg), commonly called singlet oxygen, has attracted appreciable interest, principally because of its unique chemical reactivity in systems ranging from the Earth's atmosphere to biological cells. Because O2(a1Δg) can be produced and deactivated in processes that involve light, the photophysics of O2(a1Δg) are equally important. Moreover, pathways for O2(a1Δg) deactivation that regenerate O2(X3Σg-), which address fundamental principles unto themselves, kinetically compete with the chemical reactions of O2(a1Δg) and, thus, have practical significance. Due to technological advances (e.g., lasers, optical detectors, microscopes), data acquired in the past ∼20 years have increased our understanding of O2(a1Δg) photophysics appreciably and facilitated both spatial and temporal control over the behavior of O2(a1Δg). One goal of this Review is to summarize recent developments that have broad ramifications, focusing on systems in which oxygen forms a contact complex with an organic molecule M (e.g., a liquid solvent). An important concept is the role played by the M+•O2-• charge-transfer state in both the formation and deactivation of O2(a1Δg).

Singlet oxygen lifetime changes in dying glioblastoma cells

Time-resolved phosphorescence detection was employed to determine the lifetime of singlet oxygen in live cells. Using hypericin as a photosensitizer, singlet oxygen was generated in U87MG glioblastoma cells. The phosphorescence of singlet oxygen was detected in aqueous cell suspensions following pulsed laser excitation. Our goal was to eliminate or reduce the problems associated with lifetime measurements in water-based cell suspensions. The apparatus enabled simultaneous singlet oxygen phosphorescence and transient absorption measurements, reducing uncertainty in lifetime estimation. The changes in singlet oxygen lifetime were observed during early and late apoptosis induced by photodynamic action. Our findings show that the effective lifetime of singlet oxygen in the intracellular space of the studied glioblastoma cells is 0.4 μs and increases to 1.5 μs as apoptosis progresses. Another group of hypericin, presumably located in the membrane blebs and the plasma membrane of apoptotic cells, generates singlet oxygen with a lifetime of 1.9 μs.

Novel Lanthanide(III) Porphyrin-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks: Structure, Gas Adsorption, and Magnetic Properties

The present work focuses on the hydrothermal synthesis and properties of porous coordination polymers of metal-porphyrin framework (MPF) type, namely, {[Pr4(H2TPPS)3]·11H2O} n (UPJS-10), {[Eu/Sm(H2TPPS)]·H3O+·16H2O} n (UPJS-11), and {[Ce4(H2TPPS)3]·11H2O} n (UPJS-12) (H2TPPS = 4,4',4″,4‴-(porphyrin-5,10,15,20-tetrayl)tetrakisbenzenesulfonate(4-)). The compounds were characterized using several analytical techniques: infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric measurements, elemental analysis, gas adsorption measurements, and single-crystal structure analysis (SXRD). The results of SXRD revealed a three-dimensional open porous framework containing crossing cavities propagating along all crystallographic axes. Coordination of H2TPPS4- ligands with Ln(III) ions leads to the formation of 1D polymeric chains propagating along the c crystallographic axis. Argon sorption measurements at -186 °C show that the activated MPFs have apparent BET surface areas of 260 m2 g-1 (UPJS-10) and 230 m2 g-1 (UPJS-12). Carbon dioxide adsorption isotherms at 0 °C show adsorption capacities up to 1 bar of 9.8 wt % for UPJS-10 and 8.6 wt % for UPJS-12. At a temperature of 20 °C, the respective CO2 adsorption capacities decreased to 6.95 and 5.99 wt %, respectively. The magnetic properties of UPJS-10 are characterized by the presence of a close-lying nonmagnetic ground singlet and excited doublet states in the electronic spectrum of Pr(III) ions. A much larger energy difference was suggested between the two lowest Kramers doublets of Ce(III) ions in UPJS-12. Finally, the analysis of X-band EPR spectra revealed the presence of radical spins, which were tentatively assigned to be originating from the porphyrin ligands.

Photophysical characterization of Hypericin-loaded in micellar, liposomal and copolymer-lipid nanostructures based F127 and DPPC liposomes

Hypericin (Hy) compound presents a high photoactivity in photodynamic therapy (PDT), photodiagnosis and theranostics applications. The maintenance of this compound in monomeric form could undermine the potential benefits of its photophysical and photodynamic activity. In this study, we demonstrated that the Hy formulated in a system based on the use of the F127 copolymer and the 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-3-glycerol-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) as micelles, liposomal vesicles and Copolymer-Lipid coated systems, have improved its photophysical properties for many clinical modalities. Based on the results of the triplet state lifetime values (τ_t), the singlet oxygen quantum yield (Φ_Δ¹O₂), the fluorescence lifetime (τ_F) and the fluorescence quantum yield (Φ_F), all Hy formulations had its photophysical properties described in different models of drug delivery systems (DDS). In addition, the transient spectra profile of those formulations was unaffected by the Hy incorporation process, except for the liposomal system, which demonstrated to be the less stable one by flash photolysis technique. The cytotoxic effects of those formulations were also investigated for CaCo-2 and HaCat cells line. The cytotoxic concentrations for 50% (CC₅₀) were 0.56, 1.05, 1.33 and 4.80 µmol L^-1 for Copolymer-Lipid/Hy, DPPC/Hy, F127/Hy and ethanol/Hy for CaCo-2 cells, respectively, and 0.69, 2.02, 1.45 and 1.16 µmol L^-1 for Copolymer-Lipid/Hy, DPPC/Hy, F127/Hy and ethanol/Hy for HaCat cells, respectively. The F127 copolymer had a significant role in many photophysical parameters determined for Copolymer-Lipid/Hy coated system. Although all those formulations had shown satisfactory results, Copolymer-Lipid/Hy proved to be superior in many aspects, being the most promising formulation for PDT, photodiagnosis and theranostics applications.

In vitro study of disodium cromoglicate as a novel effective hydrotrope solvent for hypericin utilisation in photodynamic therapy

Hypericin (HY) is a naphthodianthrone that naturally occurs in Hypericum perforatum L. It is a promising photosensitiser used in photodynamic therapy for and diagnosis of oncological diseases. However, its hydrophobic character is an obstacle that has prevented its efficient use. The commonly used solvent, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), is a controversial constituent of HY formulations and its use has been rejected by many researchers studying HY both in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we propose the utilisation of hydrotropy to solubilise HY in an aqueous environment. Cromolyn (DSCG) is a non-toxic, well-tolerated, antiallergic drug that has been employed in clinical practice since 1970, and in aqueous solution it acts as a hydrotrope. At a molecular ratio of 1:12,000 HY to DSCG, the compound is able to solubilise HY in aqueous environment. In an HT-29 cell suspension, DSCG (1.8 mmol L-1) considerably enhances the interaction between HY (150 nmol L-1) and HT-29 cells, which leads to an HY fluorescence emission increase with a half-time approximately 2 min compared to 29 min for samples that lack DSCG. Studies using HT-29 adenocarcinoma cells showed that DSCG at a given concentration significantly improved accumulation of HY within cells compared to DMSO (p < 0.05) despite the relative resistance of the HT-29 cell line to HY-PDT. Though no significant difference between total reactive oxygen species production was observed for photoactivated HY dissolved in DMSO and DSCG, significant singlet oxygen generation by photoactivated HY dissolved in a DSCG-containing water solution at the studied molecular ratio was confirmed. We also clarified that DSCG does not act as a scavenger of ABTS and galvinoxyl free radicals. The results from an MTT assay showed that DSCG also significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of photoactivated HY compared to DMSO (p < 0.05). This study has demonstrated the ability of DSCG to act as a solvent of HY and enhance the effectiveness of HY-PDT compared to the commonly used organic solvent, DMSO.