Potential of Ni(II)-NTA-modified poly(ethylene imine) glycopolymers as carrier system for future dendritic cell-based immunotherapy.

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in the development of cell-mediated immunotherapy due to their ability to induce and maintain strong immune responses. In our study, we evaluated a biocompatible Ni(II)-NTA-modified poly(ethylene imine) dendritic glycopolymer (Ni(II)-NTA-DG) as new carrier system to increase the antigen uptake into iDCs for future DC-based immunotherapy. Ni(II)-NTA-DG led to an increase in His6-Gp160 uptake in monocytes and iDCs, where His6-Gp160 is localized in the early endosomal and lysosomal compartments. Ni(II)-NTA-DG and the formed polyplexes induced an activation of iDCs, showing an increasing expression of costimulatory molecules CD86, CD80, and proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8. Beside no influencing effect of Ni(II)-NTA-DG and polyplexes on the maturation of antigen-bearing DCs, the mature peptide bearing DCs remained their ability to migrate along a gradient of CCR7 ligands. Thus, Ni(II)-NTA-DG with advancing biological properties is a promising carrier system for the future application in DC-based immunotherapy.

Ultrahigh vacuum deposition of organic molecules by electrospray ionization.

An electrospray apparatus for deposition of organic molecules on surfaces in ultrahigh vacuum is presented. The kinetic energy at the impact and mass to charge ratio of deposited ions can be controlled by an electrostatic quadrupole deflector and an in-line quadrupole mass spectrometer. With an ion funnel in the first two vacuum stages a high ion transmission is achieved. Experiments on porphyrin cations and deoxyribonucleic acid deposited on a Au(111) surface demonstrate the capabilities of the instrument.

2-Naphthylamine, a compound found in cigarette smoke, decreases both monoamine oxidase A and B catalytic activity.

Cigarette smokers exhibit a lower monoamine oxidase (MAO; EC 1.4.3.4) activity than nonsmokers. MAO is located in the outer membrane of mitochondria and exists as two isoenzymes, MAO A and B. MAO A prefers 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin), and MAO B prefers phenylethylamine (PEA) as substrate. Dopamine is a substrate for both forms. 2-Naphthylamine is a carcinogen found in high concentrations in cigarette smoke. The results of this study show that 2-naphthylamine has the ability to inhibit mouse brain MAO A and B in vitro by mixed type inhibition (competitive and non-competitive). The Ki for MAO A was determined to be 52.0 microM and for MAO B 40.2 microM. The inhibitory effect of 2-naphthylamine on both MAO A and B catalytic activity, supports the hypothesis that smoking decreases MAO activity in vivo, instead that smokers with lower MAO activity are more prone to become a smoker.

AIT-082, a cognitive enhancer, is transported into brain by a nonsaturable influx mechanism and out of brain by a saturable efflux mechanism.

A fundamental feature of any drug designed to treat a disease of the central nervous system is the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Passage across the blood-brain barrier of AIT-082, a cognitive enhancer, was investigated in mice. [(14)C]AIT-082 crossed the blood-brain barrier in young male Swiss-Webster mice with a mean influx constant (K(i)) of 0.6 +/- 0.2 microl g(-1) min(-1). Furthermore, [(14)C]AIT-082 was transported into brain of both young and old male C57BL/6 mice with a K(i) of 0.35 +/- 0.06 and 0.33 +/- 0.02 microl g(-1) min(-1), respectively. There was no significant effect of age or strain on the movement of [(14)C]AIT-082 across the blood-brain barrier in mice. When 110- or 650-fold excess unlabeled AIT-082 was included in the injection solution, the K(i) was not significantly changed in either Swiss-Webster or C57BL/6 mice. This indicated that [(14)C]AIT-082 crossed the blood-brain barrier by a nonsaturable mechanism. The passage of AIT-082 into brain extracellular fluid was confirmed with capillary depletion and microdialysis. The efflux of [(14)C]AIT-082 from brain also was examined. After i.c.v. injection, [(14)C]AIT-082 levels in brain decreased over time with a t(1/2) of 20.0 +/- 1.0 min. Excess unlabeled AIT-082 (600-fold) increased the t(1/2) to 35.5 +/- 3.6 min. Together, these data indicate that AIT-082 moves into brain via a nonsaturable mechanism and is actively transported out of brain.

The metabolism of tyramine by monoamine oxidase A/B causes oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA.

Monoamine oxidases A/B (EC 1.4.3.4, MAO), flavoenzymes located on the outer mitochondrial membrane, catalyze the oxidative deamination of biogenic amines, such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. In this study, we examined whether the H2O2 formed during the two-electron oxidation of tyramine [4-(2-aminoethyl)phenol] (a substrate for monoamine oxidases A/B) may contribute to the intramitochondrial steady-state concentration of H2O2 ([H2O2]ss) and, thus, be involved in the oxidative impairment of mitochondrial matrix components. Supplementation of intact, coupled rat brain mitochondria with benzylamine, beta-phenylethylamine, or tyramine showed initial rates of H2O2 production ranging from 0.4- to 1.6 nmol H2O2/min/mg protein. ESR analysis of the oxidative deamination of tyramine by intact rat brain mitochondria revealed the formation of hydroxyl (HO.) and carbon-centered radical adducts--the latter probably originating by the (HO.-)-mediated oxidation of mannitol. The signals were substantially enhanced upon addition of FeSO4 and were abolished by catalase. The intramitochondrial [H2O2]ss calculated in terms of glutathione peroxidase activity during the metabolism of tyramine was 48-fold higher (7.71 +/- 0.25 x 10(-7) M) than that obtained during the oxidation of succinate via complex II in the presence of antimycin A (1.64 +/- 0.2 x 10(-8) M). Oxidative damage to the brain mtDNA was assessed by single strand breakage. The ratio of nicked DNA for the preparations treated with tyramine and those without the amine was 1.5 +/- 0.29 (n = 4), 2.12 +/- 0.28 (n = 8, P < or = 0.05), and 3.12 +/- 0.69 (n = 3, P < or = 0.05) at 15, 30, and 60 min, respectively . Preincubation of mitochondria with tranylcypromine (trans-2-phenylcyclopropylamine), an inhibitor to MAO A/B, abolished mtDNA oxidative damage. Catalase inhibited mtDNA strand breakage by approximately 60%. Incubation of intact, coupled rat brain mitochondria with chlorodinitrobenzene (CDNB) depleted mitochondrial GSH by 72%. Tyramine-dependent damage of mtDNA was decreased by 68% in CDNB-treated mitochondria (with 28% remaining GSH). The [H2O2]ss was slightly increased in CDNB-treated mitochondria: 1.38- and 1.28-fold increase during the oxidation of succinate in the presence of antimycin A and during the oxidation of tyramine, respectively. These results suggest that the H2O2 generated during the MAO-catalyzed oxidation of biogenic amines and possibly certain neurotransmitters at the outer mitochondrial membrane contributes to the intramitochondrial [H2O2]ss and may cause oxidative damage to mtDNA. This is effected by the intramitochondrial concentration of GSH and might have potential implications for aging and neurodegenerative processes.