Dissociation of aggregated ferroheme complexes and protoporphyrin IX by water-soluble polymers.

The ferroheme-pyridine complex, ferroheme and protoporphyrin IX form the aggregates by the hydrophobic interaction in aqueous solutions. We found by spectrophotometric and fluorometric measurements that the aggregates dissociated into the monomers by the addition of water-soluble polymers, such as, poly(ethyleneoxide), poly(vinylalcohol), poly(vinylpyrrolidone) and poly(styrene sulfonate). The dissociation by the polymers proceeded as their hydrophobicities increased. The aggregated ferroheme was effectively dissociated by the copolymers of 4-vinylpyridine which were water-soluble polymer-ligands.

Liposomal heme as oxygen carrier under semi-physiological conditions. Orientation study of heme embedded in a phospholipid bilayer by an electrooptical method.

The meso-tetra(alpha,alpha,alpha,alpha(o-pivalamidophenyl]porphinato iron-mono(1-lauryl-2-methylimidazole) complex embedded in the bilayer of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (liposomal heme) binds molecular oxygen reversibly at pH 7 and 37 degrees C. Orientation of the iron porphyrin complex in the phospholipid bilayer was studied by electric birefringence and dichroism. It was observed that both the phospholipid bibilayer of liposome and the porphyrin plane are oriented nearly in parallel to the electric field. Therefore the angle between the porphyrin plane and the bilayer is considered to be practically small.

Lipid microsphere containing lipophilic heme: preparation and oxygen transportation under physiological conditions.

Lipophilic heme (1-laurylimidazole-ligated 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(alpha, alpha, alpha, alpha-o- pivalamidophenyl)porphinatoiron(II) complex) is solubilized in lipid (triglyceride) at high concentrations and emulsified with a phospholipid in physiological salt solution, giving a deeply red-colored suspension of lipid microspheres (approx. 250 nm in diameter). The heme forms an oxygen adduct in a similar manner as oxyhemoglobin and the lipid microspheres take up and release oxygen reversibly at 37 degrees C in the aqueous medium. The oxygen-transporting ability is comparable with that of the red blood cell. Intravenous injection of the heme/lipid microsphere solution to rabbits demonstrates that it transports oxygen even in vivo and that it is cleared from the blood stream with a half-life time of approx. 1 h.

Interactions of functionalized polymeric liposomes having a porphinato-iron complex with some biological cells and components in vitro.

The hemocompatibility of functionalized polymeric liposome particles (diameter: 20-32 nm), which have a synthetic porphinato-iron complex in their polymerized bilayers and can carry oxygen, was studied in vitro. The ultramicroparticles did not induce hemolysis, platelet aggregation and plasma coagulation directly and were stable against hydrolysis by phospholipases A2 and D.

Clearance and tissue distribution of functionalized polymeric liposomes from the blood stream of rats.

Polymeric liposomes containing a synthetic porphinato-iron-imidazole complex (hemoglobin or red blood cell model) were labeled by introducing 1,2-di[1-14C]palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine into their polymerized bilayers. After intravenous injection into rats, their clearance from a blood stream was measured. The apparent half-life time (50% disappearance time) was about 14 +/- 2 h. Their tissue distribution was determined with time by whole autoradiographic measurement.

Early and delayed technetium-99m-tetrofosmin myocardial SPECT compared in normal volunteers.

UNLABELLED: This study was performed to test the feasibility of early SPECT imaging with 99mTc-tetrofosmin with the presence of high hepatic activity. METHODS: Thirteen normal volunteers were injected 600-740 MBq of 99mTc-tetrofosmin at rest and were imaged at 10 min and 1 hr after injection. The SPECT images were reconstructed for 180 degrees 360 degrees data. The early and delayed SPECT and anterior planar projection images were analyzed. RESULTS: After excluding one subject because of high hepatic activity overlapping to the myocardium, 4 of 12 subjects (33%) had abnormal scans with reduced uptake in the inferior wall on the early 180 degrees SPECT image. In contrast, only one (8%) showed equivocally reduced uptake on the 360 degrees SPECT image. In the delayed images, all subjects had a normal 180 degrees and 360 degrees SPECT scan. Quantitative data showed reduced regional activities in the inferior wall on the early SPECT scan, especially in the 180 degrees data. There were no changes in the mean anterior-to-inferior ratio in the anterior planar projection images over time, suggesting that the reduced activity in the early SPECT images reflected an artifactual effect. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that it would be best to perform late imaging in patients with suspected coronary artery disease using 99mTc-tetrofosmin.

Physical properties of hemoglobin vesicles as red cell substitutes.

Hemoglobin vesicles (HbV) as red cell substitutes were prepared from a purified carbonylhemoglobin (HbCO) solution and a lipid mixture composed of phospholipids, cholesterol, and alpha-tocopherol. The diameter was controlled to 251 +/- 87 nm using an extrusion method; the vesicles penetrated through the membrane filters with regulated pore sizes. After the ligand exchanging reaction (HbCO-->HbO2), the oxygen affinity (P50) of HbV was 32 Torr, which was controlled with the coencapsulation of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. The rate of metHb formation in HbV was nonenzymatically reduced with the coencapsulation of DL-homocysteine. The Hb concentration of the HbV suspension, which was dispersed in a phosphate buffered saline solution (pH 7.4), was controlled at 10 g/dL. At this concentration, the total lipid concentration was 6.2 g/dL and the viscosity, 2.6 cP (230 s-1), was lower than that of the blood (4.4 cP). The HbV suspension showed a typical non-Newtonian flow for a particle dispersion and agreed well with the Casson model. The viscosity at shear rates lower than 23 s-1 showed a maximum with increasing the mixing ratio of human blood, plasma, or albumin, while no maximum was observed for the mixture with washed red blood cells. The aggregates of HbV are formed by interaction with plasma proteins, including albumin, while the aggregates reversibly dissociate at higher shear rate.

Enzymatic reduction of synthetic polymer-bound hemin derivatives: efficient method to prepare a heme-oxygen adduct in cooled aqueous medium.

Synthetic polymer-bound hemin (iron(III) protoporphyrin IX) derivatives were effectively reduced by ferredoxin and ferredoxin-NADP reductase system. The resultant polymer-bound heme (iron(II) protoporphyrin IX) derivatives formed oxygen adducts with a lifetime of ca. 1 hr in aqueous solution at -30 degrees C. The reduction rate is discussed in terms of the structure of the hemin derivatives.

Synthesis of porphinatoirons having an alkyl amphiphilic chain and their O2 binding properties in lipid bilayers.

Synthesis and characterization of two amphiphilic tetraphenylporphinatoiron complexes having a glycerophosphocholine or an alkyl phosphoserine group are described. These porphinatoiron(II) complexes with 1-dodecyl-2-methyl-imidazole (L2MIm) were efficiently embedded in the bilayer of a phospholipid vesicle due to their high compatibility with lipids, similar to the heme substituted with four alkyl amphiphilic chains (lipid-heme). Oxygen transporting ability of the phospholipid vesicles embedded with hemes were similar to that of hemoglobin (Hb) in red blood cells.

Evaluation of the capabilities of a hemoglobin vesicle as an artificial oxygen carrier in a rat exchange transfusion model.

Encapsulation of hemoglobin within a liposome is one of the strategies in the development of artificial oxygen carriers. It maintains the oxygen transporting properties of hemoglobin and, at the same time, eliminates the side effects of cell free hemoglobin. Hemoglobin vesicles (HbV) are a type of liposome encapsulated hemoglobin. They have a particle size of approximately 250 nm, a hemoglobin concentration of 10 g/dl, and the oxygen affinity, P50, is regulated to 32 Torr. In this study the authors examined the oxygen transporting capability of HbV in vivo, by performing exchange transfusions in rats. Exchange transfusion (90% of the estimated circulatory volume) with HbV suspended in 5% albumin (containing 160 mEq/L, sodium and 107 mEq/L, chloride) was carried out in male Wistar rats. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate were monitored through the arterial catheter. Arterial blood samples for gas analyses were also obtained from the arterial catheter. Abdominal aortic blood flow was measured by an ultrasonic pulsed Doppler flowmeter as an indicator of cardiac output. The oxygen tension of blood withdrawn from the right atrium was measured as an indicator of mixed venous oxygen tension. These values were employed to calculate oxygen delivery and consumption. Renal cortical and skeletal muscle tissue oxygen tensions were monitored as indicators of tissue perfusion. Five percent albumin and washed rat red blood cells suspended in 5% albumin containing 10 g/dl of hemoglobin; were employed as controls. At the completion of a 90% exchange transfusion, renal cortical and skeletal muscle tissue oxygen tensions, along with oxygen delivery and consumption, were sustained almost equally well with the HbV suspension compared to the washed rat red blood cell suspension, but declined significantly with the albumin suspension. The results indicate that the oxygen transporting capability of HbV was almost equivalent to that of rat red blood cells.

Liposome/heme as a totally synthetic oxygen carrier.

We synthetically derived protoheme (oxygen-binding site of hemoglobin) to an amphiphilic heme compound and embedded it in the phospholipid bilayer of liposomes, not in an aqueous inside region of liposomes. This liposome/heme transports oxygen efficiently under physiological conditions. Characteristics of our totally synthetic liposome/heme as an artificial oxygen carrier, are summarized as follows. (i) Oxygen-binding is reversible and very rapid. (ii) The oxygen volume dissolved in the fluid is similar or superior to that of blood. (iii) The oxygen-binding affinity is close to that of blood. (iv) The particle size is smaller than 0.1 micron. (v) It is physically and mechanically stable under shear stress and storage. (vi) The components are synthetic derivatives of protoheme and phospholipid originated in nature. The advantages (i)-(iii) and brilliant red color of the solution are derived from the fact that our totally synthetic liposome/heme, transports oxygen in the same principle of red blood cells. When the liposome/heme solution was mixed with human blood, the liposome/heme delivered oxygen to blood in the mixture system. The oxygen-exchanging of the liposome/heme with blood was also tested ex-vivo using an artificial lung apparatus. The oxy liposome/heme was circulated through A-V of a dog leg, and the oxygen concentration was kept at a high level. This demonstrates the fact that the synthetic liposome/heme transports and delivers oxygen to the muscle tissue. Application to extracorporeal circulation and transfusion test will also be reported.

Structure and solution properties of lipidheme-microsphere.

Triglyceride microsphere emulsified with phospholipid derivative of heme (5,10,15,20-tetrakis[alpha,alpha,alpha,alpha-o-[2,2-dimethyl-20- [2-(trimethylammonioethoxy) phosphonatoxy]eicosanamido]phenyl]porphinatoiron(II); lipidheme) provides a totally synthetic artificial red cell (lipidheme-microsphere; LH-M). Its structure, solution properties and O2 binding ability are described. The particle diameter of the LH-M was ca. 90 nmø elucidated by electron microscopy. Viscosity of the LH-M suspension (approximately 1.5 cP) was much lower than that of human blood and the viscosity of mixed system of LH-M/human blood (1/1(v/v)) was 2.5 cP. Specific gravity, osmotic pressure, and colloid osmotic pressure of the LH-M suspension also satisfied the physiological needs. The LH-M can bind O2 reversibly in response to O2 pressure (P50(O2): 41 torr (pH 7.4, 37 degrees C)). O2 solubility of the LH-M was more than that of human blood caused by its high heme concentration.

Facilitated oxygen transport with modified and encapsulated hemoglobins across non-flowing solution membrane.

The oxygen-transporting capability of modified and encapsulated hemoglobins and red cells is discussed from a physico-chemical standpoint in order to design oxygen-delivering fluids. The oxygen diffusion coefficient toward oxygen-deficient sites was estimated by measuring the oxygen flux across thin solution membranes of hemoglobin, polymerized hemoglobin, liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin, and red cells. Oxygen flux was enhanced several times over that of nitrogen for the hemoglobin and red cell solution with ca [Hb] = 10 and 15 g/dl, respectively. The enhancement in the oxygen diffusion is ascribed to the facilitated transport of oxygen via the hemoglobins. This was in contrast to the simple and physical oxygen-diffusivity in response to its concentration gradient, in the absence of hemoglobins. The flux of the oxygen transport was in the order of hemoglobin > red cells > polymerized hemoglobin > encapsulated hemoglobin, which was ascribed to the facilitated transport efficiencies of oxygen with hemoglobins in a non-flowing or stationary solution.

Convenient method to purify hemoglobin.

A convenient method to purify Hb solution from outdated RBC has been established for the starting material of Hb-based blood substitutes. To prevent MetHb formation during the procedure, Hb in RBC was carbonylated in advance. Then RBC was mixed with organic solvent for hemolysis and centrifuged for removal of stroma. The resulting SFHb solution was heated at 60 degrees C and generated precipitates were removed out by centrifugation. The purity of Hb (25 g/dl) was confirmed by SDS-PAGE. IEF and oxygen binding property of the Hb solution also guaranteed its purity and no denaturation of Hb. This method is applicable to large scale production of the purified Hb for the starting material of Hb-based blood substitutes.

Electrochemical and ferromagnetic couplings in 4,4',4' '-(1,3,5-benzenetriyl)tris(phenoxyl) radical formation.

4,4',4' '-(1,3,5-Benzenetriyl)tris(2,6-di-tert-butylphenol) was prepared by the cross-coupling of 1,3,5-tribromobenzene and [4-(trimethylsiloxy)phenyl]magnesium bromide. X-ray analysis of the single crystal showed a propeller-like structure with a mean dihedral angle of 39 degrees between the hydroxyphenyl and the core benzene. The phenoxyl mono-, di-, and triradicals were generated by the electrochemical oxidation of the trianion. A stepwise radical formation was revealed by a differential pulse voltammogram, electrolytic ESR spectroscopy, and a comproportionation reaction between the radicals, which was discussed as an effect of the pi-conjugated but non-Kekulé-type coupler. The quartet and triplet ground state for the tri- and diradical, respectively, were confirmed by a SQUID measurement.

A nanometer-sized high-spin polyradical: poly(4-phenoxyl-1,2-phenylenevinylene) planarily extended in a non-Kekulé fashion and its magnetic force microscopic images.

A pi-conjugated, but non-Kekulé- and nondisjoint-type poly(1,2-phenylenevinylene) network bearing 4-substituted di-tert-butylphenoxyls was synthesized through a one-pot polycondensation of the star-shaped subpart and the subsequent oxidation, which was persistent even at room temperature. The polyphenoxyl radical with a spin concentration of 0.4 displayed an average S of 10/2. The polyradical with the molecular weight of 3.2 x 10(4) gave a disklike image of ca. 35 x 0.6 nm with both an atomic and a magnetic force microscopy: the molecular image was examined as a nanoscale and single-molecular-based magnetic dot.

Construction of artificial methemoglobin reduction systems in Hb vesicles.

The hemoglobin vesicle (HbV) is a red cell substitute encapsulating purified concentrated Hb in a phospholipid vesicle. In order to suppress metHb formation for the long term maintenance of oxygen transporting capability in vivo, thiols (cysteine, Cys; homocysteine, Hcy) were studied as reductants of metHb. Hcy showed a suppressive effect on metHb formation, while Cys adversely accelerates metHb formation at the rate of twice the Hb solution without any reductants. The suppression of Cys-induced metHb formation by the addition of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase indicated that Cys was easily oxidized by oxygen and simultaneously generated a large amount of active oxygens. The rate of metHb formation was influenced by PO2 and pH. Furthermore, the reducing systems (methylene blue (MB), NADH or ascorbic acid) were added to the outer aqueous phase of HbV, and the artificial reduction systems constructed through the bilayer membrane were evaluated.

Liposome-embedded-heme as a totally artificial oxygen carrier.

To produce a totally artificial oxygen carrying substance, a synthetic iron-porphyrin (heme) complex that is analogous to the oxygen binding site (protoheme) of hemoglobin was embedded in the phospholipid bilayer of a liposome. The O2 carrying capacity of this liposome-embedded-heme (L/H) was examined by exchange transfusions in beagles. Six beagles were divided into two groups. In Group I, 15 ml/kg of blood was removed, and the same amount of L/H solution was injected intravenously. In Group II, 30 ml/kg of blood was withdrawn, and the same amount of the L/H solution was injected intravenously. The mean L/H concentration in the blood was 0.9 mM in Group I and 1.5 mM in Group II. The oxygen volume transported by 1 mM of the L/H at 1 L/min of cardiac output in Groups I and II were 15 and 17 ml/mM.L.min, respectively. The oxygen volume consumed from 1 mM of the L/H at 1 L/min of cardiac output in Groups I and II were 7.7 and 8.3 ml/mM.L.min, respectively. O2 volume transported by the L/H in Groups I and II were 8 and 15%, respectively. O2 volume consumed from the L/H in Groups I and II were 12 and 24%, respectively. Thus, this liposome-embedded-heme has the ability to combine with oxygen, to transport it to the tissue, and to release it in the tissue. The oxygen volumes transported by and consumed from the L/H were proportional to the L/H concentration in the blood.

Oxygen-transport and solution properties of polylipid/Hb vesicles (ARC).

Polymerized phospholipid vesicle encapsulating Hb (polylipid/Hb vesicle) was prepared from a mixture of unsaturated phospholipid, cholesterol and unsaturated fatty acid and polymerization by gamma-ray irradiation. The average radius of resulting vesicles was 203 +/- 39 nm and concentrated Hb (30 wt%) was efficiently encapsulated. gamma-Ray polymerization proceeds theoretically at low temperature (4 degrees C). P50 and oxygen transporting efficiency were adjusted to 40 mmHg and 40%, respectively. Oncotic pressure and solution viscosity can be controlled to the same values as blood.