pH response of conformation of poly(propylene imine) dendrimer in water: a molecular simulation study

Noncovalent Interactions with PAMAM and PPI Dendrimers Promote the Cellular Uptake and Photodynamic Activity of Rose Bengal: The Role of the Dendrimer Structure

Rose bengal is an anionic dye considered as a potential photosensitizer for anticancer photodynamic therapy. The clinical utility of rose bengal is hampered by its short half-life, limited transmembrane transport, aggregation, and self-quenching; consequently, efficient drug carriers that overcome these obstacles are urgently required. In this study, we performed multilevel in vitro and in silico characterization of interactions between rose bengal and cationic poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) and poly(propyleneimine) (PPI) dendrimers of the third and fourth generation and assessed the ability of the resultant complexes to modulate the photosensitizing properties of the drug. We focused on explaining the molecular basis of this phenomenon and proved that the generation- and structure-dependent binding of the dye by the dendrimers increases the cellular uptake and production of singlet oxygen and intracellular reactive oxygen species, leading to an increase in phototoxicity. We conclude that the application of dendrimer carriers could enable the design of efficient photodynamic therapies based on rose bengal.

Molecular dynamics simulations of hyperbranched poly(ethylene imine)-graphene oxide nanocomposites as dye adsorbents for water purification

Atomistically detailed molecular dynamics simulations were employed to study the adsorption capacity of graphene-oxide-based (GO) aqueous systems for the methylene blue (MB) dye in the presence of branched poly(ethylene imine) (BPEI) polymers. The polymeric component was either freely mixed or chemically attached to GO. The main focus was the elucidation of the effects originating from the presence of BPEI molecules in the association of MB with the formed GO complexes. The effect of temperature was also examined. It was found that the presence of the cationic BPEI molecules results in the formation of a distinct microenvironment characterized by a polymer-mediated interconnected morphology which promotes the development of larger-sized MB clusters. These clusters were found to form in the vicinity of the GO flakes, increasing thus the adsorption capacity of the dye molecules in the polymer-containing systems. Particularly in the system with the BPEI-functionalized GO flakes, a persistent percolated structure is formed, which results in a more restricted diffusion of the MB molecules, increasing thus significantly their residence time close to the GO surface. The clustering behavior of MB was found to be temperature-dependent in the BPEI-based models, providing useful information regarding the conditions for optimal adsorption performance of such membranes, in nanofiltration processes.

Conformations of poly(propylene imine) dendrimers in an ionic liquid at different pH

The conformational behavior of poly(propylene imine) (PPI) dendrimers at three different solution pH is studied in an ionic liquid (IL) solvent, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl), through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The size, shape, density distribution, structure factor, and the scattering intensity are evaluated to probe the conformational transition of dendrimers as a function of pH. The results of the radial atomic and terminal amine group density distribution at low pH indicate a shift in the density towards the periphery of the dendrimers due to the electrostatic repulsion between the charged tertiary amine groups within the dendrimers. The [BMIM] cations are not encapsulated within dendrimers and predominantly reside near the periphery. The extensive back-folding of the outer branches due to the electrostatic repulsion between the solvent cations and the peripheral charged amine groups at neutral and low pH results in a dense compact structure in [BMIM]Cl as compared to that in water, as evident from the results of the structure factor and scattering intensity. The structural analysis in terms of the fractal dimension reveals that the lower generation dendrimers exhibit conformational transition as a function of pH, while the higher generations exhibit a highly compact structure at all solution pH. However, PPI dendrimers at low pH exhibit more free volume as compared to that at high pH, which may be utilized to accommodate specific guest molecules.

Effect of pH on Size and Internal Structure of Poly(propylene imine) Dendrimers: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study

The behavior of poly(propylene imine) dendrimers at three different solution pH is investigated through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in explicit solvent. MD simulations provide an insight into the conformational properties of dendrimers via the evaluation of their size, shape, radial density distribution, static structure factor, and scattering intensity. The size of the dendrimer increases from high solution pH to low pH. The internal structure of the dendrimer is quantified in terms of the radial atomic density profile and the terminal amine group density distribution. While the radial atomic density distribution shifts away from the core of the dendrimer with decreasing pH, a significant degree of back-folding of the outer generations is observed at high pH for higher generations of growth. Results from the structure factor and scattering intensity indicate two types of conformational transitions: (i) as a function of the solution pH, where the dendrimer evolves from an expanded structure at low pH to a highly compact one at high pH (except for higher generations), and (ii) with increasing generations, where the open structure of the dendrimer at lower generations transforms to a compact structure at higher generations at both high and low pH, characterized by a change in the fractal dimension.

Charge and hydration structure of dendritic polyelectrolytes: molecular simulations of polyglycerol sulphate

Macromolecules based on dendritic or hyperbranched polyelectrolytes have been emerging as high potential candidates for biomedical applications. Here we study the charge and solvation structure of dendritic polyglycerol sulphate (dPGS) of generations 0 to 3 in aqueous sodium chloride solution by explicit-solvent molecular dynamics computer simulations. We characterize dPGS by calculating several important properties such as relevant dPGS radii, molecular distributions, the solvent accessible surface area, and the partial molecular volume. In particular, as the dPGS exhibits high charge renormalization effects, we address the challenges of how to obtain a well-defined effective charge and surface potential of dPGS for practical applications. We compare implicit- and explicit-solvent approaches in our all-atom simulations with the coarse-grained simulations from our previous work. We find consistent values for the effective electrostatic size (i.e., the location of the effective charge of a Debye-Hückel sphere) within all the approaches, deviating at most by the size of a water molecule. Finally, the excess chemical potential of water insertion into dPGS and its thermodynamic signature are presented and rationalized.

Hybrid Dendrimers of PPI(core)-PAMAM(shell): A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study

The structural properties of hybrid dendrimers PPI(core)-PAMAM(shell) for application in drug delivery are studied by coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation, and their capacity to encapsulate drug guest molecules such as pyrene is investigated by changing the core (PPI) in the PPI-PAMAM hybrids. For this purpose, a coarse-grained model for PPI dendrimer is developed and is used to predict the structural properties as a function of PPI core size, such as the size of hybrid dendrimers, the depth of water penetration, the extent of back-folding of their chain terminals, the size and distribution of created cavities, and asphericity. The results show that the location of pyrene in the interior structure of the hybrids is independent of PPI core size and the branching chains create a barrier against the penetrating molecules in the shell of PPI. Then, by adding the PAMAM to the surface of PPI, this barrier is removed, and this will enhance the encapsulation capacity of the hybrid.

Combined EPR and molecular modeling study of PPI dendrimers interacting with copper ions: effect of generation and maltose decoration

Understanding the early onset of neurodegeneration is crucial to deploy specific treatments for patients before the process becomes irreversible. Copper has been proposed as a biomarker for many neurodegenerative disorders, being the ion released by pathologically unfolded proteins involved in many biochemical pathways. Dendrimers are macromolecules that bind metal ions with a large ion/ligand ratio, thus, allowing a massive collection of copper. This work provides structural information, obtained via molecular modeling and EPR, for the binding sites of copper in polypropyleneimine (PPI) dendrimers, especially in the maltose decorated form that has potential applications in diagnosis and therapies for various types of neurodegenerations. The analysis of the EPR spectra showed that, at the lowest Cu concentrations, the results are well supported by the calculations. Moreover, EPR analysis at increasing Cu(II) concentration allowed us to follow the saturation behavior of the interacting sites identified by the modeling study.

Theoretical and computational studies of dendrimers as delivery vectors

It is a great challenge for nanomedicine to develop novel dendrimers with maximum therapeutic potential and minimum side-effects for drug and gene delivery. As delivery vectors, dendrimers must overcome lots of barriers before delivering the bio-agents to the target in the cell. Extensive experimental investigations have been carried out to elucidate the physical and chemical properties of dendrimers and explore their behaviors when interacting with biomolecules, such as gene materials, proteins, and lipid membranes. As a supplement of the experimental techniques, it has been proved that computer simulations could facilitate the progress in understanding the delivery process of bioactive molecules. The structures of dendrimers in dilute solutions have been intensively investigated by monomer-resolved simulations, coarse-grained simulations, and atom-resolved simulations. Atomistic simulations have manifested that the hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen-bond interactions, and electrostatic attraction play critical roles in the formation of dendrimer-drug complexes. Multiscale simulations and statistical field theories have uncovered some physical mechanisms involved in the dendrimer-based gene delivery systems. This review will focus on the current status and perspective of theoretical and computational contributions in this field in recent years. (275 references).

Highly sensitive fluorescent and colorimetric pH sensor based on polyethylenimine-capped silver nanoclusters

Silver nanoclusters capped by hyperbranched polyethylenimine (PEI) have been developed as a highly sensitive fluorescent and colorimetric pH sensor. The probe responds rapidly to pH fluctuations and has such absorption characteristics that the color changes from the colorless or a nearly colorless state to a colored state with increasing acidity, so PEI-capped Ag nanoclusters could be used as a color indicator for colorimetric pH detection. Quantitatively, the fluorescence intensity of PEI-capped Ag nanoclusters exhibits a linear fashion over the pH range of 5.02-7.96 and increases by around 10-fold approximately with greater fluorescence at higher pH values. The repulsion development and conformational change of PEI with decreasing pH induce the aggregation of Ag nanoclusters, leading to an obvious color change and fluorescence quenching of Ag nanoclusters at low pH values. As expected, the pH probe is also sensitive to the different buffer solutions, except for those containing some anions that could react with Ag nanoclusters. Besides, the ionic strength of the buffers has a little influence on the pH-responsive behavior. Our pH sensor with nanoscaled physical dimensions would be a promising candidate in the applications in biological, medical, and pharmaceutical fields.