We used H, C HRMAS and genomic analysis to investigate regionally the transition from oxidative to glycolytic phenotype and its relationship with altered gene expression in adjacent biopsies through the brain of rats bearing C6 gliomas. Tumor-bearing animals were anesthetized and infused with a solution of [1-C]-glucose, and small adjacent biopsies were obtained spanning transversally from the contralateral hemisphere (regions I and II), the right and left peritumoral areas (regions III and V, respectively), and the tumor core (region IV). These biopsies were analyzed by H, C HRMAS and by quantitative gene expression techniques.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study describes for the first time the use of high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) on Klamath (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, AFA) blue-green algae directly on powder suspension. These algae are considered to be a "superfood", due to their complete nutritional profile that has proved to have important therapeutic effects. The main advantage of NMR spectroscopy is that it permits the detection of a number of metabolites all at once.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInterferon (IFN)-α2 is an extensively therapeutically used pro-inflammatory cytokine. Though its efficacy in controlling viral replication and tumor cells proliferation, administration of IFN-α2 is often associated with the development of central side effects. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies have demonstrated that IFN-α2 administration affects brain metabolism, however the exact nature of this effect is not completely known.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntact Crocus sativus petals were studied for the first time by high-resolution magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (HR-MAS NMR) spectroscopy, revealing the presence of kinsenoside (2) and goodyeroside A (3), together with 3-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactone (4). These findings were confirmed by HR-NMR analysis of the ethanol extract of fresh petals and showed that, even though carried out rapidly, partial hydrolysis of glucopyranosyloxybutanolides occurs during extraction. On the other hand, kaempferol 3-O-sophoroside (1), which is "NMR-silent" in intact petals, is present in extracts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe investigated the effect of an electric field on the alignment and structural properties of thin films of a chiral polybithiophene-based conductive polymer, functionalized with a protected l-cysteine amino acid. Thin films were obtained by exploiting both drop-casting and spin-coating procedures. The electric properties, the polarized Raman spectrum, the UV-vis spectrum, and the CD spectra were measured as a function of the electric field intensity applied during film formation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh Resolution Magic Angle Spinning (HR-MAS) is an NMR technique that can be applied to semi-solid samples. Flavedo, albedo, pulp, seeds, and oil gland content of lemon and citron were studied through HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy, which was used directly on intact tissue specimens without any physicochemical manipulation. HR-MAS NMR proved to be a very suitable technique for detecting terpenes, sugars, organic acids, aminoacids and osmolites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant regeneration is a critical step in most in vitro breeding techniques. This paper studies the effects of a low-molecular-weight humic acid (HA) on morphogenesis from pear and quince leaf explants. Variable HA amounts [0 (control), 1, 5, 10, and 20 mg C L(-1)] were added to the regeneration media.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGC/OligoThiophene/Ag(NP) hybrid interfaces are synthesized and characterized: GC is the glassy carbon surface; OligoThiophene stands for both an ultrathin bithiophene grafted film and a 4-Br-Bithiophene grafted polymer; Ag(NP) stands for silver nanoparticles. The hybrid interface preparation involves different steps: first, the electrode surface is functionalized through a combination of electrochemically assisted grafting (under reduction regime) and polymerization (under oxidation regime); then, silver nanoparticles are chemisorbed by dipping. In particular, an ultrathin film of grafted bithiophene can be obtained by applying one cyclic voltammetry reduction cycle (GC/BT surface), while subsequent cyclic voltammetry cycling under oxidation regime yields an immobilized 4Br-Bithiophene polymer (GC/4BrBT surface).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntracranial hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) are rare tumors and their radiological appearance resembles that of meningiomas, especially meningothelial meningiomas. To increase the knowledge on the biochemical composition of this type of tumor for better diagnosis and prognosis, we performed a molecular study using ex vivo high resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) perfomed on HPC and peritumoral edematous tissues. Moreover, to help in the discrimination between HPC and meningothelial meningioma we compared the ex vivo HR-MAS spectra of samples from one patient with HPC and 5 patients affected by meningothelial meningioma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIt is well recognized that a high dietary intake of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) has profound benefits on health and prevention of chronic diseases. In particular, in recent years there has been a dramatic surge of interest in the health effects of n-3 LC-PUFA derived from fish, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids. Notwithstanding, the metabolic fate and the effects of these fatty acids once inside the cell has seldom been comprehensively investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe charge-transfer and spectral properties of two octithiophenes, namely 4',4''',3'(v),3(v)'-tetra(octylsulfanyl)-2,2':5',2'':5'',2''':5''',2'(v):5'(v),2(v):5(v),2(v)':5(v)',2(v)''-octithiophene and 4,3'',4(v),4(v)''-tetrabromo-4',4''',3'(v),3(v)'-tetra[(R)-2-methylbutylsulfanyl]-2,2':5',2'':5'',2''':5''',2'(v):5'(v),2(v):5(v),2(v)':5(v)',2(v)''-octithiophene, OT1 and OT2, respectively, are characterized by cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry under ultradry conditions. The analysis of the voltammetric results shows the formation of up to the dication for both OT1 and OT2 and up to the tetraanion (OT1) and trianion (OT2) anions. The optical properties of the OT1 (2+, 1+, neutral, 1-, 2-) species were probed by in situ UV-vis-NIR spectroelectrochemistry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy visible mobile lipids are considered important markers in the diagnosis of human cancer and are thought to be closely involved in various aspects of tumour transformation, such as cell proliferation, necrosis, apoptosis, hypoxia and drug resistance. A method allowing the straightforward identification of the lipid classes contributing to the mobile lipids in human malignant tissues is highly advisable. Ex vivo High Resolution Magic Angle Spinning Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy was done directly on human cerebral, renal and colorectal malignant tissue specimens.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe metabolic profile of human healthy and neoplastic colorectal tissues was obtained using ex vivo High-Resolution Magic Angle Spinning (HR-MAS) NMR spectroscopy. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) were applied to NMR data in order to highlight the biochemical differences between healthy and neoplastic colorectal tissues. The synergic combination of ex vivo HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy with Multivariate Data Analysis enables discrimination between healthy and tumoral colorectal tissues and identification of the increase of taurine, acetate, lactate, and lipids, and the decrease of polyols and sugars as tumoral characteristics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe investigate the profile of choline metabolites and the expression of the genes of the Kennedy pathway in biopsies of human gliomas (n = 23) using (1)H High Resolution Magic Angle Spinning (HR-MAS, 11.7 Tesla, 277 K, 4000 Hz) and individual genetic assays. (1)H HR-MAS spectra allowed the resolution and relative quantification by the LCModel of the resonances from choline (Cho), phosphocholine (PC) and glycerophosphorylcholine (GPC), the three main components of the combined tCho peak observed in gliomas by in vivo (1)H NMR spectroscopy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aims: The metabolic profile and morphologic aspects of normal and pathologic human gastric mucosa were studied. The aim of the present research was the application of ex vivo high-resolution magic angle spinning magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HR-MAS MRS) to the human gastric tissue to get information on the molecular steps involved in gastric carcinogenesis and the identification of biochemical markers useful for the development of in vivo MRS methodologies to diagnose gastric pathologies in clinical situations.
Methods: Twelve normal subjects, five with autoimmune atrophic gastritis, five with Helicobacter pylori infection, and five with adenocarcinoma were examined.
Unlabelled: The aim of the present study was to examine the metabolic profile of normal and tumoral renal tissues by ex vivo high resolution magic angle spinning magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HR-MAS MRS).
Patients And Methods: Five patients, three affected by clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and two by papillary RCC, were examined. A radical nephrectomy was performed in each.
We report on the magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) characterisation of different human meningiomas. Three histological subtypes of meningiomas (meningothelial, fibrous and oncocytic) were analysed both through in vivo and ex vivo MRS experiments. The ex vivo high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) investigations, permitting an accurate description of the metabolic profile, are very helpful for the assignment of the resonances in vivo of human meningiomas and for the validation of the quantification procedure of in vivo MR spectra.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA combination of van der Waals and electrostatic interactions was used to integrate SWNT and a suitably functionalized polythiophene into nanostructured ITO electrodes. In the resulting electron donor/acceptor nanocomposites, polythiophene represents the light-harvesting chromophore that readily donates an excited-state electron to the ground-state electron-accepting SWNT. Upon illumination, monochromatic incident photoconversion efficiencies between 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe non-isoprenoid polyene laetiporic acid A, recently described from fruit-bodies of the wood-rotting fungus Laetiporus sulphureus, was found to be the major orange pigment also in mycelium grown in liquid culture. Its formation was variable, ranging from 0.1 to 6.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe 3,3''',3'''''-tris(butylsulfanyl)- 2,2':5',2'':5'',2''',5''',2'''':5'''',2'''''-sexithiophene 1 was investigated through spectroscopic (NMR, EPR, UV/Vis-NIR), electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical and theoretical (DFT) studies. The charged species obtained upon its oxidation and reduction were characterised, showing that 1 can exist in at least five different oxidation states, that is, a neutral species, a radical cation, a dication, a radical anion, and a dianion. The long term stability of the radical cation 1+.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe dinuclear hydroxo complex cis-[L(2)Pt(mu-OH)](2)(NO(3))(2) (L = PMePh(2), 1), in CH(2)Cl(2), CH(3)CN, or DMF solution, deprotonates the NH(2) group of 9-methyladenine (9-MeAd) to give the complex cis-[L(2)Pt[9-MeAd(-H)]](3)(NO(3))(3), 2, which was isolated in good yield. The X-ray structure shows that the nucleobase binds symmetrically the metal centers through the N(1),N(6) atoms forming a cyclic trimer with Pt..
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