Chemistry Commons^™

Improved Arene Fluorination Methodology For I(Iii) Salts, Bijia Wang, Linlin Qin, Kiel D. Neumann, Shriharsha Uppaluri, Ronald Cerny, Stephen G. Dimagno

Ronald Cerny Publications

The use of low polarity aromatic solvents (benzene or toluene) and/or the removal of inorganic salts results in dramatically improved yields of fluorinated arenes from diaryliodonium salts. This methodology is shown to “scale down” to the conditions used typically for radiotracer synthesis.

Corrosion Of Steel Shipwrecks In The Marine Environment: Uss Arizona—Part 2, Donald L. Johnson, Brent M. Wilson, James D. Carr, Matthew A. Russell, Larry E. Murphy, David L. Conlin

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

This article is a continuation of Part 1 (October 2006 MP) on the USS Arizona hull. It discusses additional methods being investigated for use in determining corrosion rates with a minimal impact on the existing structure. Marine biofouling (concretion) has accumulated on the hull. Concretion samples have been studied using x-ray diffraction, environmental electron microscopy, and corrosion potential (E_corr) to characterize the relationship between concretion and the steel substrate. The data presented in this study confirm the viability of concretion analysis as a minimum-impact procedure to estimate the corrosion rate of mild steel in seawater.

Corrosion Of Civil War Era Sub Marine Explorer—Part 2, Donald L. Johnson, James D. Carr, Brent M. Wilson, Larry E. Murphy, James P. Delgado

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

The Sub Marine Explorer was designed and built by Julius H. Kroehl, who was born in Prussia in 1820. After migrating to the United States in 1838 and becoming a citizen, he served in the Union Navy (United States Navy during the Civil War) as an underwater demolitions expert. He left the Navy in 1863 and began designing a “sub-marine” that would facilitate Union forces’ mine removal and obstruction clearance. At the end of the Civil War, he became an engineer for the Pacific Pearl Co., an organization interested in using the craft to recover pearls from deep sea oyster …

Corrosion Of Civil War Era Sub Marine Explorer—Part 1, Donald L. Johnson, James D. Carr, Brent M. Wilson, Larry E. Murphy, James P. Delgado

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

The Sub Marine Explorer is one of five submersibles (submarines) constructed prior to 1870 that have survived either in museums or as in situ archaeological sites around the world. Since 1869, the wreck of Explorer has emerged at low tide on the beach of Isla San Telmo, Archipiélago de las Perlas, Panama, located ~75 km southwest of Panama City in the Bay of Panama. In 2001, James Delgado visited the site. Locals described the wreck as a World War II-era Japanese midget submarine. Delgado consulted with Richard Wills, an expert on American Civil War submarines, and confirmed that the well-preserved …

Method For Monitoring The Stereoselectivity And Relative Rate Of Organic Chemical Reactions, David R. Berkowitz, Sangeeta Dey, Kannan R. Karukurichi, Weijun Shen

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

A method for monitoring the stereoselectivity of at least one organic chemical reaction and the relative rate of at least one organic chemical reaction, wherein the reaction produces a product that can exist as at least two stereoisomers, is provided herein. Also disclosed are methods for identifying and preparing catalysts for the above reactions.

Apoptotic And Chemotherapeutic Properties Of Iron (Iii)-Salophene In An Ovarian Cancer Animal Model, Thilo S. Lange, Carolyn Mccourt, Rakesh K. Singh, Kyu Kwang Kim, Ajay P. Singh, Brian S. Luisi, Onur Alptürk, Robert M. Strongin, Laurent Brard

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

The cytotoxicity of organometallic compounds iron(III)-, cobalt(III)-, manganese(II)-, and copper(II)-salophene (-SP) on platinum-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines was compared. Fe-SP displayed selective cytotoxicity (IC(50) at ~1 muM) against SKOV-3 and OVCAR-3 cell lines while Co-SP caused cytotoxic effects only at higher concentrations (IC(50) at 60 muM) and Cu-SP effects were negligible. High cytotoxicity of Mn-SP (30-60 muM) appeared to be nonspecific because the Mn-chloride salt reduced cell viability similarly. The effect of Fe-SP at 1 muM proved to be ovarian cancer cell selective when compared to a panel of cell lines derived from different tumors. The first irreversible step in …

Identifying Biomarkers For Resistance To Novel Cisplatin Analogues In Human Lung, Breast And Prostate Cancers, Becky Michelle Hess

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Cisplatin is a common therapeutic agent used in cancer treatment. Unfortunately, resistance to cisplatin in addition to severe side effects limits its use in cancer treatment. Two novel cisplatin analogues, 4DB and 4TB were shown to have varying cytotoxicity in lung, breast and prostate cancer cells. The hypothesis for this study states that the differences in 4DB and 4TB cytotoxicity among different tissue types is due to the type and efficiency of DNA repair mechanisms involved in response to these drugs.

To test the hypothesis, proteins involved in the rate limiting step of nucleotide excision repair (NER) and mismatch repair …

Controlled Assembly Of Rodlike Viruses With Polymers, Tao Li, Laying Wu, Nisaraporn Suthiwangcharoen, Michael A. Bruckman, Dayton Cash, Joan S. Hudson, Soumitra Ghoshroy, Qian Wang

Faculty Publications

A practical method to assemble rodlike tobacco mosaic virus and bacteriophage M13 with polymers was developed, which afforded a 3D core–shell composite with morphological control.

Immobilization Method For Producing Active Α1-Acid Glycoprotein, David S. Hage, Hai Xuan

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

A method and kit for immobilization of a glycoprotein. The method may include activating an affinity Support. The affinity Support may be activated by reacting the affinity Support with a compound that is reactive with one or more functional groups included within the glycoprotein. The method may also include oxidizing the glycoprotein in which oxidation conditions are selected to yield an oxidized glycoprotein that is biologically active and contains a Sufficient number of reactive aldehyde groups for coupling to a Support. For example, the oxidized glycoprotein may include five reactive aldehyde groups. In addition, the method may include reacting the …

Preparation And Characterization Of Some Substituted Benzyl N-Nitrosocarbamates Containing An N-2-(Methylthio)Ethyl Or A Bis(2-Aminoethyl)Sulfide Functionality, Satya Venkata, Eric Shamo, Vladimir Benin

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The synthesis and characterization of some substituted benzyl N-nitrosocarbamates with an N-2-(methylthio)ethyl or a bis(2-aminoethyl)sulfide functionality is reported, as a part of a long-term goal to design and prepare novel photolabile structures that could be used as substances for controlled release of alkylating and/or crosslinking agents. The synthesis was accomplished by reaction of benzyl chloroformates with the corresponding amines, resulting in the preparation of carbamates. The latter were subsequently nitrosated, utilizing two different N-nitrosation methods, to yield the target structures.

Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry For The Determination Of Methylprednisolone In Rat Plasma And Liver After Intravenous Administration Of Its Liver-Targeted Dextran Prodrug, Shuang-Qing Zhang, Helen R. Thorsheim, Suman Penugonda, Venkateswaran C. Pillai, Quentin R. Smith, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

A specific and sensitive liquid chromatography (LC)-tandem mass spectrometric method for quantitative determination of methylprednisolone (MP) in rat plasma and liver was developed and validated using triamcinolone acetonide as an internal standard. Liquid-liquid extraction using tert-butyl methyl ether was used to extract the drug and the internal standard from plasma and liver. The separation of MP was performed on a C(18) column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile:0.5% formic acid aqueous solution (85:15, v/v) over 4 min. The assay was based on the selected reaction monitoring transitions at m/z 375 -> 161 for MP in plasma, 375 -> 357 for …

Androgen-Stimulated Udp-Glucose Dehydrogenase Expression Limits Prostate Androgen Availability Without Impacting Hyaluronan Levels, Qin Wei, Robert Galbenus, Ashraf Raza, Ronald Cerny, Melanie A. Simpson

Ronald Cerny Publications

UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (UGDH) oxidizes UDP-glucose to UDP-glucuronate, an essential precursor for production of hyaluronan (HA), proteoglycans, and xenobiotic glucuronides. High levels of HA turnover in prostate cancer are correlated with aggressive progression. UGDH expression is high in the normal prostate even though HA accumulation is virtually undetectable. Thus, its normal role in the prostate may be to provide precursors for glucuronosyltransferase enzymes, which inactivate and solubilize androgens by glucuronidation. In this report, we quantified androgen dependence of UGDH, glucuronosyltransferase, and HA synthase expression. Androgen dependent and independent human prostate cancer cell lines were used to test the effects of UGDH …

A Multi-Step Nmr Screen For The Identification And Evaluation Of Chemical Leads For Drug Discovery, Kelly A. Mercier, Matthew D. Shortridge, Robert Powers

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

A multi-step NMR based screening assay is described for identifying and evaluating chemical leads for their ability to bind a target protein. The multi-step NMR assay provides structure-related information while being an integral part of a structure based drug discovery and design program. The fundamental principle of the multi-step NMR assay is to combine distinct 1D and 2D NMR techniques, in such a manner, that the inherent strengths and weakness associated with each technique is complementary to each other in the screen. By taking advantage of the combined strengths of 1D and 2D NMR experiments, it is possible to minimize …

Anhydrous Fluoride Salts And Reagents And Methods For Their Production, Stephen G. Dimagno, Haoran Sun

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

Anhydrous organic fluoride salts and reagents prepared by a method comprising the nucleophilic Substitution of a fluorinated aromatic or fluorinated unsaturated organic compound with a salt having the formula: [Q_nM]^x+A_x^- in an inert polar, aprotic solvent; wherein M is an atom capable of supporting a formal positive charge, the n groups Q are independently varied organic moieties, n is an integer such that the [Q_nM] carries at least one formal positive charge, x is an integer defining the number of formal positive charge(s), +, carried by the [Q_nM], A^{- …}

Generation Of Novel Pikromycin Antibiotic Products Through Mutasynthesis, Shuchi Gupta, Venkatraman Lakshmanan, Beom Seok Kim, Robert Fecik, Kevin A. Reynolds

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mutasynthesis in pikromycin PKS: The amenability of pikromycin polyketide synthase to mutational biosynthesis has been demonstrated. A natural triketide and its analogues, activated as N-acetyl-cysteamine thioesters, were synthesized and fed to a pikAI-deleted strain; this led to the production of new antibiotics. A vinyl analogue was found to have better antibacterial activity than pikromycin.

Preliminary Development Of Quantitative Immunoassays For Mitochondrial Proteins, Adriann Hovey

Honors Program Theses

Mitochondria are medium-sized organelles in which most cellular metabolic reactions are carried out. In postmitotic cells that are aged or diseased, such as myocardial, skeletal, and brain cells, abnormally large mitochondria ("giant mitochondria") are often observed. Mitochondrial size and shape are controlled by mitochondrial fusion and fission and disruption of this process may lead to their abnormally large size (Nauratil, Terman, Arriaga, 2008). These giant mitochondria exhibit variations from normal metabolism and altered membrane potentials (Nauratil et al., 2008). An increased number of giant mitochondria may therefore disrupt cell function (Nauratil et al., 2008). This accumulation may result either from …

Examination Of An Aloe Vera Galacturonate Polysaccharide Capable Of In Situ Gelation For The Controlled Release Of Protein Therapeutics, Shawn David Mcconaughy

Dissertations

A therapeutic delivery platform has been investigated with the ultimate goal of designing a sustained protein release matrix utilizing an in-situ gelling, acidic polysaccharide derived from the Aloe vera plant. The Aloe vera polysaccharide (AvP) has been examined in order to determine how chemical composition, structure, molecular weight and solution behavior affect gelation and protein/peptide delivery. Correlations are drawn between structural characteristics and solution behavior in order to determine the impact of polymer conformation and solvation on gel formation under conditions designed to simulate nasal applications. Steady state and dynamic rheology, classic and dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, pulse field …

Oriented Cell Growth On Self-Assembled Bacteriophage M13 Thin Films, Jianhua Rong, L. Andrew Lee, Kai Li, Brandon Harp, Charlene M. Mello, Zhongwei Niu, Qian Wang

Faculty Publications

Fibrillar M13 bacteriophages were used as basic building blocks to generate thin films with aligned nanogrooves, which, upon chemical grafting with RGD peptides, guide cell alignment and orient the cell outgrowth along defined directions.

A Study On The Protein Interaction With Different Platinum Compounds, Nayna Kotadia

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Since the discovery of anti-tumor activity of cisplatin in 1960, significant progress has been made in treating metastatic or advanced cancer with cisplatin and platinum compounds. Platinum compounds covalently bind to DNA and disrupt DNA function. They are also known to bind with amino acids like methionine, histidine and cysteine to form cisplatin-protein adducts which are responsible for most of its cytotoxicity and side effects. Recent articles on cisplatin-protein have shown that adding bulky adjuncts to cisplatin or using different platinum compounds varies the degree and extent of reaction thus possibly reducing cisplatin resistance and side effects.

One of the …

Preparation Of Halogenated Derivatives Of Thiazolo[5,4-D]Thiazole Via Direct Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution, Vladimir Benin, Alan T. Yeates, Douglas Dudis

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Chlorination and bromination reactions of thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole led to the generation of its mono- and dihalogenated derivatives. These are the first instances of successful direct electrophilic aromatic substitution in the thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole ring system. X-ray analysis demonstrates that both 2-bromothiazolo[5,4-d]-thiazole and 2,5-dibromothiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole are planar structures, with strongly manifested π-stacking in the solid state. Theoretical analysis of the pyridine-catalyzed halogenation (MP2/6-31+G(d) and B3LYP/6-31+G(d)calculations) reveals that introduction of one halogen actually leads to a slightly enhanced reactivity towards further halogenation. Several halogenation mechanisms have been investigated: 1) The direct C-halogenation with N-halopyridine as electrophile; …

Iron(Iii)-Salophene: An Organometallic Compound With Selective Cytotoxic And Anti-Proliferative Properties In Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Cells, Thilo S. Lange, Kyu Kwang Kim, Rakesh K. Singh, Robert M. Strongin, Carolyn Mccourt, Laurent Brard

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: In this pioneer study to the biological activity of organometallic compound Iron(III)-salophene (Fe-SP) the specific effects of Fe-SP on viability, morphology, proliferation, and cell-cycle progression on platinum-resistant ovariancancer cell lines were investigated.

Methodology/Principal Findings: Fe-SP displayed selective cytotoxicity against SKOV-3 and OVCAR-3 (ovarian epithelial adenocarcinoma) cell lines at concentrations between 100 nM and 1 μM, while the viability of HeLa cells (epithelial cervix adenocarcinoma) or primary lung or skin fibroblasts was not affected. SKOV-3 cells in contrast to fibroblasts after treatment with Fe-SP revealed apparent hallmarks of apoptosis including densely stained nuclear granular bodies within fragmented nuclei, highly condensed …

C–N Bond Rotation And E–Z Isomerism In Some N-Benzyl-N-Methylcarbamoyl Chlorides: A Dft Study, Michael Horwath, Vladimir Benin

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The current report presents the first theoretical study of the restricted CN bond rotation in carbamoyl chlorides. Several N-benzyl-N-methylcarbamoyl chlorides were investigated, with varying pattern of substitution in the aromatic ring. Optimizations and frequency calculations were conducted employing DFT at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d) level of theory. Each of the studied structures exhibits a pair of rotamers (s-Z and s-E), generated upon rotation around the C(O)N bond. The s-E isomer is the global minimum in every case, but the preference for it is usually less than 1 kcal/mol. Two possible transition state structures were identified …

Identification And Analysis Of Prohibitin In B16 Mouse Melanoma Cells, Christopher Francis

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Prohibitin, a highly conserved protein found in eukaryotic cells, has been found in recent years to possess a wide variety of functions in the cell. Whereas the mechanisms by which the protein functions are still largely unknown, it is clear that prohibitin possesses very strong anti-proliferative properties in the cell, as well as potentially both nuclear and mitochondrial functions based upon its movement and localization upon apoptotic signaling. Upon treatment with retinoic acid, transformed B16 mouse melanoma cells also indicate a differential expression of prohibitin in which production of the protein is increased. The purpose of this work was to …

Phosphorylation Of Claudin-5 And Occludin By Rho Kinase In Brain Endothelial Cells, Masaru Yamamoto, Servio H. Ramirez, Shinji Sato, Tomomi Kiyota, Ronald Cerny, Kozo Kaibuchi, Yuri Persidsky, Tsuneya Ikezu

Ronald Cerny Publications

Critical to the proper maintenance of blood-brainbarrier (BBB) integrity are the endothelial tight junctions (TJs). Posttranslational modifications of essential endothelial TJ proteins, occludin and claudin-5, contribute and possibly disrupt BBB integrity. Our previous work has shown that Rho kinase (RhoK) activation mediates occludin and claudin-5 phosphorylation resulting in diminished barrier tightness and enhanced monocyte migration across BBB in the setting of human immunodeficiency virus-1 encephalitis (HIVE). To determine whether RhoK can directly phosphorylate TJ proteins, we examined phosphorylation of cytoplasmic domains of recombinant claudin- 5 and occludin by RhoK. We found that RhoK predominately phosphorylated two sites on occludin (T382 …

Synthesis Towards Novel 1,3-Azaborine Heterocycles As Potential Dual-Mode Hiv-1 Protease Inhibitors, Amanda Blackmore

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Drug discovery has resulted in many life-saving therapies, making a great impact on modem medicine and the human condition. Even though new therapies are available many drugs are highly susceptible to resistance development, have poor bioavailability, and some of them are toxic. HIV-I protease inhibitors presently on the market show high specificity but have low bioavailability and high toxicity. Furthermore, the available drugs have a very low affinity for mutant forms of HIV -1 protease. Recent studies have shown that boronated HIV-I protease inhibitors, which demonstrate both competitive and associative inhibition, have a higher affinity for HIV-I protease at lower …

Synthesis Of 5,6 Dihydropyran-2-Ones As Potential Inhibitors Of Hiv-1 Protease, Jesse Lee Nye

Undergraduate Honors Theses

HIV/ AIDS has affected about 40 million people. One type of drug that is used to treat HIV/AIDS is a protease inhibitor. HIV-I protease is an enzyme responsible for the release of mature HIV viral particles in the body. HIV-I protease eventually becomes resistant to the inhibitors that are used as drugs and new inhibitors are needed. This research builds on a previous research effort, in which structures for HIV -1 protease inhibitors were designed using molecular modeling methods, including neural networks. These inhibitors were designed to possess better inhibitory properties, and possibly have increased bioavailability and less toxicity than …

Analysis Of Residual Solvents In Pharmaceuticals By Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography, Cristina Marie Crimi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Synthesis Of Multifunctional Nanogels Using A Protected Macromonomer Approach, Neetu Singh, L. Andrew Lyon

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Nanoparticles possessing multiple functionalities provide synthetic handles for varied surface chemistries, making them useful for a range of applications such as biotargeting and drug delivery. However, the combination of interfering functionalities on the same particle is often challenging. We have employed a synthetic scheme involving chemical protection/deprotection to combine interfering functional groups on the same hydrogel nanoparticle. The synthesis of amine-containing poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) nanogels was carried out via free radical precipitation polymerization by incorporating a Fmoc-protected amine poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) macromonomer. The Fmoc group was then removed to obtain free amines, which were shown to be available for conjugation. We further …

Reduced Acute Inflammatory Responses To Microgel Conformal Coatings, Amanda W. Bridges, Neetu Singh, Kellie L. Burns, Julia E. Babensee, L. Andrew Lyon, Andrés J. García

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Implantation of synthetic materials into the body elicits inflammatory host responses that limit medical device integration and biological performance. This inflammatory cascade involves protein adsorption, leukocyte recruitment and activation, cytokine release, and fibrous encapsulation of the implant. We present a coating strategy based on thin films of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel microparticles (i.e. microgels) cross-linked with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate. These particles were grafted onto a clinically relevant polymeric material to generate conformal coatings that significantly reduced in vitro fibrinogen adsorption and primary human monocyte/macrophage adhesion and spreading. These microgel coatings also reduced leukocyte adhesion and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, …

Systematic Synthesis And Study Of The Structure-Property Relationships Of Arylene Vinylene Polymers., Patrick Lynch

Doctoral

Much is known about the electronic, vibrational and steric effects resulting from the addition of differing organic functional groups as side chains, to the parent conjugated polymer. However the same cannot be said about the substitution of constituents of the polymer backbone itself. To this end a study is presented here which systematically studies the effects of naphthalene and anthracene substitution of the properties of poly phenylene vinylene (PPV) derivative conjugated polymers. The synthesis by the Witting-Horner reaction of derivatives is presented whereby the phenylene units of the PPV structure are methodically substituted by naphthylene and anthrylene units to form …