Trehalose glass-facilitated thermal reduction of metmyoglobin and methemoglobin

Biodegradable Nanoparticles for Delivery of Therapeutics in CNS Infection

Despite the significant advances in neurological medicine, it remains difficult to treat ailments directly involving the brain. The blood brain barrier (BBB) is a tightly regulated, selectively permeable barrier that restricts access from the blood into the brain extracellular fluid (BEF). Many conditions such as tumors or infections in the brain are difficult to treat due to the fact that drugs and other therapeutic agents are unable to easily pass through this relatively impermeable barrier. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) presents a particular problem as it is able to remain dormant in the brain for years protected from antiretroviral drugs by the BBB. The development of nanoscale carriers over the past few decades has made possible the delivery of therapies with the potential to overcome membrane barriers and provide specific, targeted delivery. This review seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the various aspects of nanoparticle formulation and their applications in improving the delivery efficiency of drugs, specifically antiretroviral therapeutics to the brain to treat HIV.

The potential of nitric oxide releasing therapies as antimicrobial agents

Nitric oxide (NO) is a short-lived, diatomic, lipophilic gas that plays an integral role in defending against pathogens. Among its many functions are involvement in immune cell signaling and in the biochemical reactions by which immune cells defend against bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. NO signaling directs a broad spectrum of processes, including the differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis of immune cells. When secreted by activated immune cells, NO diffuses across cellular membranes and exacts nitrosative and oxidative damage on invading pathogens. These observations led to the development of NO delivery systems that can harness the antimicrobial properties of this evanescent gas. The innate microbicidal properties of NO, as well as the antimicrobial activity of the various NO delivery systems, are reviewed.

Occurrence and formation of endogenous histidine hexa-coordination in cold-adapted hemoglobins

Spectroscopic and crystallographic evidence of endogenous (His) ligation at the sixth coordination site of the heme iron has been reported for monomeric, dimeric, and tetrameric hemoglobins (Hbs) in both ferrous (hemochrome) and ferric (hemichrome) oxidation states. In particular, the ferric bis- histidyl adduct represents a common accessible ordered state for the β chains of all tetrameric Hbs isolated from Antarctic and sub-Antarctic fish. Indeed, the crystal structures of known tetrameric Hbs in the bis-His state are characterized by a different binding state of the α and β chains. An overall analysis of the bis-histidyl adduct of globin structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank reveals a marked difference between hemichromes in tetrameric Hbs compared to monomeric/dimeric Hbs. Herein, we review the structural, spectroscopic and stability features of hemichromes in tetrameric Antarctic fish Hbs. The role of bis-histidyl adducts is also addressed in a more evolutionary context alongside the concept of its potential physiological role.

Perfluorodecanoic acid binding to hemoproteins: new insights from spectroscopic studies

Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), a representative of the perfluoroalkyl acids, poses a great threat to humans and animals via food and other potential sources. In this work, we determined the effects of PFDA binding to two hemoproteins, bovine hemoglobin (BHb) and myoglobin (Mb). Using fluorescence spectroscopy, we found that PFDA greatly enhanced the fluorescence intensity of both hemoproteins, while perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPA) have minimal effects on the fluorescence. UV-vis absorption (UV) spectroscopy showed that PFDA induced the unfolding of the hemoproteins accompanied by exposure of the heme pocket and facilitating the formation of hemichrome. Additionally, as shown by the circular dichroism (CD) data, PFDA altered the secondary structure of both BHb and Mb. This work elucidates the interaction mechanism of PFDA with two hemoproteins.

Sustained release nitric oxide from long-lived circulating nanoparticles

The current limitations of nitric oxide (NO) delivery systems have stimulated an extraordinary interest in the development of compounds that generate NO in a controlled and sustained manner with a heavy emphasis on the treatment of cardiovascular disease states. This work describes the positive physiological response to the infusion of NO-releasing nanoparticles prepared using a new platform based on hydrogel/glass hybrid nanoparticles. When exposed to moisture, these nanoparticles slowly release therapeutic levels of NO, previously generated through thermal reduction of nitrite to NO trapped within the dry particles. The controlled and sustained release of NO observed from these nanoparticles (NO-np) is regulated by its hydration over extended periods of time. In a dose-dependent manner, circulating NO-np both decreased mean arterial blood pressure and increased exhaled concentrations of NO over a period of several hours. Circulating NO-np induced vasodilatation and increased microvascular perfusion during their several hour circulation lifetime. Control nanoparticles (control-np; without nitrite) did not induce changes in arterial pressure, although a decrease in the number of capillaries perfused and an increase in leukocyte rolling and immobilization in the microcirculation were observed. The NO released by the NO-np prevents the inflammatory response observed after infusion of control-np. These data suggest that NO release from NO-np is advantageous relative to other NO-releasing compounds, because it does not depend on chemical decomposition or enzymatic catalysis; it is only determined by the rate of hydration. Based on the observed physiological properties, NO-np has clear potential as a therapeutic agent and as a research tool to increase our understanding of NO signaling mechanisms within the vasculature.

Glass matrix-facilitated thermal reduction: a tool for probing reactions of met hemoglobin with nitrite and nitric oxide

Isolating elemental steps that comprise a protein reaction in solution is a difficult process. In this study, the use of sugar-derived glass matrices is evaluated as a biophysical tool to help dissect out elemental steps and isolate intermediates. Two features of the glass are utilized in this endeavor: (i) the capacity of trehalose glass matrices to support thermal reduction over macroscopic distances; and (ii) the ability of glass matrices to significantly damp large amplitude protein dynamics. The focus of the study is on the reaction of nitric oxide (NO) with a nitrite ion coordinated to the heme iron of hemoglobin (Hb). The thermal reduction property of the glass is used to generate NO from nitrite within the glass, and the damping of protein dynamics is used to control entry of NO into the distal heme pocket of Hb, where it can either interact with bound nitrite or bind to the heme iron. The results not only relate to earlier controversial studies addressing the reactions of Hb with NO and nitrite but also raise the prospect that these properties of sugar-derived glassy matrices can be exploited as a new biophysical tool to modulate and probe reactions of NO with hemeproteins as well as a wide range of other metalloproteins.

New biomaterials for the sustained release of nitric oxide: past, present and future

Nitric oxide (NO), the 1992 'Molecule of the Year', is the focus of immense medical and scientific exploration. Interest in NO has grown exponentially since the initial and relatively recent discovery that NO is the long sought after endothelial relaxing factor. There is intense research that is continuing to expose the extensive physiologic impact of NO in virtually all organ and tissue systems under both normal and pathological conditions. Both the rate of delivery and the amount of site-specific generated NO modulate a balance between cytoregulatory and cytotoxic activities. This balancing act and the very short lifetime of NO under physiological conditions pose an extreme challenge with respect to harnessing the exceptional therapeutic potential of this molecule. Over the past two decades, the race to translate the therapeutic potential of NO to the bedside has been overwhelmingly through the development of numerous NO delivery devices/vehicles. So far no one product has emerged as a clearcut winner. This review: discusses and evaluates NO-donating platforms that are available at present; attempts to enhance delivery and efficacy through encapsulation in silane-based hydrogel matrices; and discusses and evaluates the future direction of these advances.

Correlation between hemichrome stability and the root effect in tetrameric hemoglobins

Oxidation of Hbs leads to the formation of different forms of Fe(III) that are relevant to a range of biochemical and physiological functions. Here we report a combined EPR/x-ray crystallography study performed at acidic pH on six ferric tetrameric Hbs. Five of the Hbs were isolated from the high-Antarctic notothenioid fishes Trematomus bernacchii, Trematomus newnesi, and Gymnodraco acuticeps, and one was isolated from the sub-Antarctic notothenioid Cottoperca gobio. Our EPR analysis reveals that 1), in all of these Hbs, at acidic pH the aquomet form and two hemichromes coexist; and 2), only in the three Hbs that exhibit the Root effect is a significant amount of the pentacoordinate (5C) high-spin Fe(III) form found. The crystal structure at acidic pH of the ferric form of the Root-effect Hb from T. bernacchii is also reported at 1.7 A resolution. This structure reveals a 5C state of the heme iron for both the alpha- and beta-chains within a T quaternary structure. Altogether, the spectroscopic and crystallographic results indicate that the Root effect and hemichrome stability at acidic pH are correlated in tetrameric Hbs. Furthermore, Antarctic fish Hbs exhibit higher peroxidase activity than mammalian and temperate fish Hbs, suggesting that a partial hemichrome state in tetrameric Hbs, unlike in monomeric Hbs, does not remove the need for protection from peroxide attack, in contrast to previous results from monomeric Hbs.

Reactivity of glass-embedded met hemoglobin derivatives toward external NO: implications for nitrite-mediated production of bioactive NO

Many protein reactions are exceedingly difficult to dissect under standard conditions due to low concentrations of reactants and intermediates. A case in point are several proposed reactions of hemoglobin with both nitrite and nitric oxide. In the present work, glassy matrices are used to dynamically control the rate at which externally introduced gaseous NO accesses and reacts with several different met Hb derivatives including the nitrite, nitrate, and aquomet forms. This novel yet general approach reveals a clear difference between nitrite and other ligands including nitrate, water, and an internal imidazole. For nitrate, water, and the internal distal imidazole, the observed spectral changes indicate that NO entering the distal heme pocket is effective in displacing these ligands from the ferric heme iron. In contrast, when the ligand is nitrite, the resulting initial spectra indicate the formation of an intermediate that has distinctly ferrous-like properties. The spectrum and the response of DAF fluorescence to the presence of the intermediate are consistent with a recently proposed nitrite anhydrase reaction. This proposed intermediate is especially significant in that it represents a pathway for a nitrite-dependent catalytic process whereby Hb generates relatively long-lived bioactive forms of NO such as S-nitrosoglutathione. The failure to form this intermediate either at low pH or when the glass is extensively dried is consistent with the requirement for a specific conformation of reactants and residue side chains within the distal heme pocket.

Sustained release nitric oxide releasing nanoparticles: characterization of a novel delivery platform based on nitrite containing hydrogel/glass composites

A new platform using biocompatible materials is presented for generating powders comprised of nanoparticles that release therapeutic levels of nitric oxide (NO) in a controlled and sustained manner. The capacity of these particles to retain and gradually release NO arises from their having combined features of both glassy matrices and hydrogels. This feature allows both for the generation of NO through the thermal reduction of added nitrite by glucose and for the retention of the generated NO within the dry particles. Exposure of these robust biocompatible nanoparticles to moisture initiates the sustained release of the trapped NO over extended time periods as determined both fluorimetrically and amperometrically. The slow sustained release is in contrast to the much faster release pattern associated with the hydration-initialed NO release in powders derived from glassy matrices. These glasses are prepared using trehalose and sucrose doped with either glucose or tagatose as the source of thermal electrons needed to convert nitrite to gNO. Significantly, the release profiles for the NO in the hydrogel/glass composite materials are found to be an easily tuned parameter that is modulated through the specific additives used in preparing the hydrogel/glass composites. The presented data raise the prospect that these new NO releasing nanoparticles can be easily formulated for use under a wide range of therapeutic circumstances.

Spectroscopic and crystallographic characterization of bis-histidyl adducts in tetrameric hemoglobins

Hemoglobins (Hbs) are important proteins devoted to oxygen transport. Hbs carry out their function by keeping the iron atom, which binds the oxygen molecule, in its reduced Fe(II) state. Nonetheless, it is well known that Hbs frequently undergo, even under physiological conditions, spontaneous oxidation. Although these processes have been widely investigated, their role and impact in different biological contexts are still highly debated. In vertebrate Hbs, assembled in alpha2beta2 tetramers, it has traditionally been assumed that oxidized forms endowed with nativelike structures are either aquo-met or hydroxy-met states, depending on the pH of the medium. This view has been questioned by several independent investigations. In the past, indirect evidence of the existence of alternative nativelike oxidized forms was obtained from spectroscopic analyses. Indeed, it was suggested that, in tetrameric Hbs, bis-histidyl hemichrome states could be compatible with folded structures. Recent studies performed by complementing spectroscopic and crystallographic methodologies have provided a detailed picture of hemichrome structure and formation in these proteins. Here we review the methodological approaches adopted to achieve these results, the main structural features of these states, and the current hypotheses on their possible functional implications.

The interaction between hemoglobin and two surfactants with different charges

The interactions of hemoglobin (Hb) with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) are investigated by several methods. We observed the formation of hemichrome below the critical micelle concentration (cmc) of surfactant and the release of heme from Hb above the cmc. When pH value of Hb/surfactant system is lower than isoelectric point (pI) of Hb, the interaction of SDS with Hb is both electrostatic and hydrophobic, while the interaction of DTAB with Hb is hydrophobic mainly. On the contrary, when pH>pI, the interaction of SDS with Hb is hydrophobic mainly, while the interaction of DTAB with Hb is both electrostatic and hydrophobic. In the case where both the electrostatic interaction and hydrophobic interaction exist, the electrostatic interaction plays a more important role. Thus, SDS tends to interact with Hb more obviously than DTAB does when pH<pI and the interaction between DTAB and Hb is stronger when pH>pI.

Sugar-derived glasses support thermal and photo-initiated electron transfer processes over macroscopic distances

Trehalose-derived glasses are shown to support long range electron transfer reactions between spatially well separated donors and protein acceptors. The results indicate that these matrices can be used not only to greatly stabilize protein structures but also to facilitate both thermal and photo-initiated hemeprotein reduction over large macroscopic distances. To date the promise of exciting new protein-based technologies that can harness the exceptional tunability of protein functionality has been significantly thwarted by both intrinsic instability and stringent solvent/environment requirements for the expression of functional properties. The presented results raise the prospect of overcoming these limitations with respect to incorporating redox active proteins into solid state devices such as tunable batteries, switches, and solar cells. The findings also have implications for formulations intended to enhance long term storage of biomaterials, new protein-based synthetic strategies, and biophysical studies of functional intermediates trapped under nonequilibrium conditions. In addition, the study shows that certain sugars such as glucose or tagatose, when added to redox-inactive glassy matrices, can be used as a source of thermal electrons that can be harvested by suitable redox active proteins, raising the prospect of using common sugars as an electron source in solid state thermal fuel cells.

The interaction of hemoglobin with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide

The interaction of hemoglobin (Hb) with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is investigated by UV-vis absorption spectra and fluorescence spectra method. CTAB monomer can convert methemoglobin (metHb) to hemichrome, and CTAB molecular assemblies, such as micelle, microemulsion and lamellar liquid crystal, can induce heme monomer to leave the hydrophobic cavity of Hb. TEM results show that Hb maintains the spherical structure in CTAB microemulsions while it is unfolded in CTAB lamellar liquid crystals. The existence of proton in the above systems can increase the stability of metHb.

O-raffinose crosslinked hemoglobin lacks site-specific chemistry in the central cavity: Structural and functional consequences of β93Cys modification

Reacting human deoxyHbA0 with oxidized raffinose (O-raffinose), a trisaccharide, results in a low oxygen affinity "blood substitute," stabilized in a noncooperative T-conformation and possesses readily oxidizable rhombic heme. In this study, we fractionated the O-raffinose-modified HbA0 heterogeneous polymer (O-R-PolyHbA0) into six distinct fractions with a molecular weight distribution ranging from 64 to approximately 600 kDa using size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). Oxygen equilibrium and kinetics binding parameters of all fractions were nearly identical, reflecting a lack of heterogeneity in ligand binding properties among O-R-PolyHbA0 species (Hill coefficient n equal to 1.0). Several mass spectrometry techniques were used to evaluate undigested and digested HbA0, O-R-PolyHbA0, and O-R-PolyHbA0 fractions. Proposed sites of intramolecular crosslinking (i.e., beta1Lys82, beta2Lys82, and beta1Val1) were not found to be the predominant site of crosslinking within the central cavity. Intermolecular crosslinking with O-raffinose results in no discernible site of amino acids modifications with the exception of beta93Cys and alpha104Cys. Based on accessible surface area (ASA) calculations in intact deoxyHbA0, slight conformational changes are required to allow for the S on alpha104Cys to be modified during the reaction with O-raffinose or its partially oxidized product(s). The stabilization of HbA0 in the T-conformation may not be a direct correlate of O-raffinose induced changes, but an indirect consequence of changing hydration in the water-filled central cavity and/or the distal heme pocket leading in the latter case to accelerated iron oxidation. Structural data presented here when taken together with the oxidative instability of O-R-PolyHbA0 may provide some basis for the reported toxicity of this oxygen carrier.