NMR and EPR study of the interaction of tris(3-hydroxy-4-pyridinonato) Ga(III) complexes with liposomes that mimic plant membranes

We performed an NMR and EPR study of the interaction of four [Ga(3,4-HPO)₃] chelates with liposomes derived from a soybean extract (SEL) and simpler formulations using POPC (100%) and POPE:POPC (50%). Parent [Fe(3,4-HPO)₃] chelates are eligible to prevent Iron Deficiency Chlorosis and we took advantage of the likenesses of the ions Fe (III) and Ga (III), and the fact their metal ion complexes are isostructural, to perform a combined NMR and EPR study to get information about the permeation properties of the complexes. The results demonstrate the presence of liposomes loaded with Ga-chelates and that the distribution of complexes alongside the bilayer is dependent on their structure. Two compounds, [Ga(mpp)₃] and [Ga(etpp)₃], have a higher affinity for the polar region of the liposome bilayer thus suggesting that their structure facilitates their permanence at the root-rhizosphere interface. Chelates [Ga(dmpp)₃] and [Ga(mrb13)₃] interact with all types of protons of the lipid bilayer thus implying that they travel all along the bilayer structure indicating their higher permeation properties through soybean membranes. The results obtained for compound, [Ga(mrb13)₃], which has been included in this work but was not yet tested in plant supplementation experiments, encourage its testing in in vivo plant studies once this study revealed that it interacts strongly with the model membranes. If the results of the future experiments in plants are positive and consistent with the present membrane-interaction studies the latter could constitute a good screening test for future compounds thus saving reagents and time.

Build-Up of a 3D Organogel Network within the Bilayer Shell of Nanoliposomes. A Novel Delivery System for Vitamin D3: Preparation, Characterization, and Physicochemical Stability

The inherent thermodynamic instability of liposomes during production and storage has limited their widespread applications. Therefore, a novel structure of food-grade nanoliposomes stabilized by a 3D organogel network within the bilayer shell was developed through the extrusion process and successfully applied to encapsulate vitamin D₃. A huge flocculation and a significant reduction of zeta potential (-17 mV) were observed in control nanoliposomes (without the organogel shell) after 2 months of storage at 4 °C, while the sample with a gelled bilayer showed excellent stability with a particle diameter of 105 nm and a high negative zeta potential (-63.4 mV), even after 3 months. The development of spherical vesicles was confirmed by TEM. Interestingly, the gelled bilayer shell led to improved stability against osmotically active divalent salt ions. Electron paramagnetic resonance confirmed the higher rigidity of the shell bilayer upon gelation. The novel liposome offered a dramatic increase in encapsulation efficiency and loading of vitamin D₃ compared to those of control.

Lipid/polymer-based nanocomplexes in nucleic acid delivery as cancer vaccines

Cancer vaccines consist of nucleic acid derivatives such as plasmid DNA, small interfering RNA and mRNA, and can be customized according to the patient's needs. Nanomedicines have proven to be exceptionally good as miniaturized drug carriers, and thus they offer great advantages for delivering cancer vaccines. This review provides an overview of the literature on cancer vaccines, from their inception to current developments in the field.

EPR studies of intermolecular interactions and competitive binding of drugs in a drug-BSA binding model

Understanding intermolecular interactions between drugs and proteins is very important in drug delivery studies. Here, we studied different binding interactions between salicylic acid and bovine serum albumin (BSA) using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Salicylic acid was labeled with a stable radical (spin label) in order to monitor its mobilized (free) or immobilized (bound to BSA) states. In addition to spin labeled salicylic acid (SL-salicylic acid), its derivatives including SL-benzoic acid, SL-phenol, SL-benzene, SL-cyclohexane and SL-hexane were synthesized to reveal the effects of various drug binding interactions. EPR results of these SL-molecules showed that hydrophobic interaction is the main driving force. Whereas each of the two functional groups (-COOH and -OH) on the benzene ring has a minute but detectable effect on the drug-protein complex formation. In order to investigate the effect of electrostatic interaction on drug binding, cationic BSA (cBSA) was synthesized, altering the negative net charge of BSA to positive. The salicylic acid loading capacity of cBSA is significantly higher compared to that of BSA, indicating the importance of electrostatic interaction in drug binding. Moreover, the competitive binding properties of salicylic acid, ibuprofen and aspirin to BSA were studied. The combined EPR results of SL-salicylic acid/ibuprofen and SL-ibuprofen/salicylic acid showed that ibuprofen is able to replace up to ∼83% of bound SL-salicylic acid, and salicylic acid can replace only ∼14% of the bound SL-ibuprofen. This indicates that ∼97% of all salicylic acid and ibuprofen binding sites are shared. On the other hand, aspirin replaces only ∼23% of bound SL-salicylic acid, and salicylic acid replaces ∼50% of bound SL-aspirin, indicating that ∼73% of all salicylic acid and aspirin binding sites are shared. These results show that EPR spectroscopy in combination with the spin labeling technique is a very powerful method to investigate drug binding dynamics in detail.

Computational and experimental approaches for investigating nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems

Most therapeutic agents suffer from poor solubility, rapid clearance from the blood stream, a lack of targeting, and often poor translocation ability across cell membranes. Drug/gene delivery systems (DDSs) are capable of overcoming some of these barriers to enhance delivery of drugs to their right place of action, e.g. inside cancer cells. In this review, we focus on nanoparticles as DDSs. Complementary experimental and computational studies have enhanced our understanding of the mechanism of action of nanocarriers and their underlying interactions with drugs, biomembranes and other biological molecules. We review key biophysical aspects of DDSs and discuss how computer modeling can assist in rational design of DDSs with improved and optimized properties. We summarize commonly used experimental techniques for the study of DDSs. Then we review computational studies for several major categories of nanocarriers, including dendrimers and dendrons, polymer-, peptide-, nucleic acid-, lipid-, and carbon-based DDSs, and gold nanoparticles. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane Proteins edited by J.C. Gumbart and Sergei Noskov.

Spin-labelled photo-cytotoxic diazido platinum(iv) anticancer complex

We report the synthesis and characterisation of the nitroxide spin-labelled photoactivatable Pt(iv) prodrugtrans,trans,trans-[Pt(N₃)₂(OH)(OCOCH₂CH₂CONH-TEMPO)(Py)₂] (Pt-TEMPO).

Physiological concentrations of albumin favor drug binding

We exploit the direct measurements of spin labeled drugs to study drug binding to/release from protein using EPR spectroscopy.

ESR spectroscopy as a tool to investigate the properties of self-assembled monolayers protecting gold nanoparticles

Electron spin resonance (ESR) has emerged as a powerful spectroscopic technique to study the properties of metal nanoparticles (NPs) protected by a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of organic molecules. This technique has been employed to explore the capacity of homoligand monolayers to bind to a hydrophobic probe or to "sense" the hydrophobicity of mixed-ligand monolayers. Moreover, spin labels anchored to the metal surface enable the investigation of the dynamic of the ligands that form the monolayer. Here we review these applications with the aim of unravelling the many features of monolayer-protected metal NPs.

Multifrequency ESR study of spin-labeled molecules in inclusion compounds with cyclodextrins

The molecular dynamics of spin-labeled compounds included into the solid phase of cyclodextrins (CDs) has been studied using conventional (X-band) ESR at 9 GHz and high-field high-frequency (HFHF) ESR at 240 and 170 GHz. The patterns of axial rotation at these higher frequencies are clear just by inspection of the spectrum, unlike the case for 9 GHz spectra. That is HFHF ESR is sensitive to molecular motion about the diffusion axis collinear with the X, Y or Z-direction of the magnetic g- and A-tensors of the nitroxide moiety (referred to, respectively, as X, Y or Z-rotation). For doxyl stearic acids (Z-rotation) and TEMPOyl caprylate (X-rotation) included in beta- and gamma-CDs we were able to determine the rate of molecular motion and the corresponding potential barriers. We emphasize that determining the rate of Z-rotation by ESR is feasible only using HFHF ESR. For the X-rotation case we suggest that the motion of the nitroxide moiety consists of fast small-angle librations about the magnetic X-axis superimposed by rotational diffusion about the same axis. The potential barrier of 1.7 Kcal mol(-1) for this rotational diffusion is unusually low. A fascinating feature of TEMPO derivatives included in beta-CD is the detectable molecular motion at temperatures below 77 K. For the other CD-spin probe systems, we used multifrequency analysis to assign the conformations of spin-labeled molecules. A dramatic spectral change for 16-sasl in beta- and gamma-CDs at approximately 260 K corresponds to a tilting of the position of the nitroxide moiety on the rotating molecule relative to the long diffusion axis, while for TEMPO derivatives in gamma-cyclodextrin below 200 K, we observe a rapid transition from fast to very slow rotational motion. More complex features are best studied by means of multifrequency ESR experiments. The visual clarity and the simplicity of analysis of the ESR spectra shown in this work should provide a benchmark for future studies of molecular motion by HFHF ESR.