Effect of Treatment With 3-Octylthio-1,1,1-Trifluoropropan-2-One in the Diamondback Moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) to the Toxicity of Diafenthiuron, Indoxacarb, and Bacillus thuringiensis.

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), is a worldwide insect pest of cruciferous crops. Although insecticides have long been used for its control, diamondback moth rapidly evolves resistance to almost any insecticide. In insects, juvenile hormone (JH) is critically involved in almost all biological processes. The correct activity of JH depends on the precise regulation of its titer, and juvenile hormone esterase (JHE) is the key regulator. Thus, JH and JHE have become important targets for new insecticide development. Trifluoromethyl ketones are specific JHE inhibitors, among which 3-octylthio-1,1,1-trifluoropropan-2-one (OTFP) has the highest activity. The interaction effects between pretreatment with or combination of OTFP and the insecticides diafenthiuron, indoxacarb, and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) were investigated in diamondback moth larvae to determine OTFP's potential as an insecticide synergist. In third-instar larvae, both pretreatment and combination treatment with OTFP decreased or antagonized the toxicities of diafenthiuron, indoxacarb, and Bt at all set concentrations. In fourth-instar larvae, combination treatment with OTFP decreased or antagonized the toxicities of diafenthiuron and indoxacarb at all set concentrations. However, it increased or synergized the toxicity of Bt at lower concentrations despite the limited effect at higher concentrations. Our results indicated that the effect of OTFP on the toxicities of insecticides varied with the type and concentration, larval stage, and treatment method. These findings contribute to the better use of OTFP in diamondback moth control.

Engineered antibody-functionalized porous silicon nanoparticles for therapeutic targeting of pro-survival pathway in endogenous neuroblasts after stroke.

Generation of new neurons by utilizing the regenerative potential of adult neural stem cells (NSCs) and neuroblasts is an emerging therapeutic strategy to treat various neurodegenerative diseases, including neuronal loss after stroke. Committed to neuronal lineages, neuroblasts are differentiated from NSCs and have a lower proliferation rate. In stroke the proliferation of the neuroblasts in the neurogenic areas is increased, but the limiting factor for regeneration is the poor survival of migrating neuroblasts. Survival of neuroblasts can be promoted by small molecules; however, new drug delivery methods are needed to specifically target these cells. Herein, to achieve specific targeting, we have engineered biofunctionalized porous silicon nanoparticles (PSi NPs) conjugated with a specific antibody against polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM). The PSi NPs loaded with a small molecule drug, SC-79, were able to increase the activity of the Akt signaling pathway in doublecortin positive neuroblasts both in cultured cells and in vivo in the rat brain. This study opens up new possibilities to target drug effects to migrating neuroblasts and facilitate differentiation, maturation and survival of developing neurons. The conjugated PSi NPs are a novel tool for future studies to develop new therapeutic strategies aiming at regenerating functional neurocircuitry after stoke.

Perfluorocarboxylic Anhydrides Triggered Cyclization: Access to 4-Perfluoroalkylpyridines.

A double nucleophilic addition-cyclization-elimination cascade is developed, that allows various 2,6-diaryl-4-perfluoroalkylpyridines to be synthesized in one step from easily available enamides and perfluorocarboxylic anhydrides. The procedure is also operationally simple and scalable and provides access to the facial construction of 4-fluoroalkylpyridines, which are of great interest in medicinal chemistry.

A versatile and robust microfluidic platform toward high throughput synthesis of homogeneous nanoparticles with tunable properties.

A versatile and robust microfluidic nanoprecipitation platform for high throughput synthesis of nanoparticles is fabricated. The versatility of this platform is proven through the successful preparation of different types of nanoparticles. This platform presents great robustness, with homogeneous nanoparticles always being obtained, regardless of the formulation parameters. The diameter and surface charge of the prepared nanoparticles can also be easily tuned.

Multifunctional porous silicon nanoparticles for cancer theranostics.

Nanomaterials provide a unique platform for the development of theranostic systems that combine diagnostic imaging modalities with a therapeutic payload in a single probe. In this work, dual-labeled iRGD-modified multifunctional porous silicon nanoparticles (PSi NPs) were prepared from dibenzocyclooctyl (DBCO) modified PSi NPs by strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) click chemistry. Hydrophobic antiangiogenic drug, sorafenib, was loaded into the modified PSi NPs to enhance the drug dissolution rate and improve cancer therapy. Radiolabeling of the developed system with (111)In enabled the monitoring of the in vivo biodistribution of the nanocarrier by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in an ectopic PC3-MM2 mouse xenograft model. Fluorescent labeling with Alexa Fluor 488 was used to determine the long-term biodistribution of the nanocarrier by immunofluorescence at the tissue level ex vivo. Modification of the PSi NPs with an iRGD peptide enhanced the tumor uptake of the NPs when administered intravenously. After intratumoral delivery the NPs were retained in the tumor, resulting in efficient tumor growth suppression with particle-loaded sorafenib compared to the free drug. The presented multifunctional PSi NPs highlight the utility of constructing a theranostic nanosystems for simultaneous investigations of the in vivo behavior of the nanocarriers and their drug delivery efficiency, facilitating the selection of the most promising materials for further NP development.

Dual-drug delivery by porous silicon nanoparticles for improved cellular uptake, sustained release, and combination therapy.

Dual-drug delivery of antiangiogenic and chemotherapeutic drugs can enhance the therapeutic effect for cancer therapy. Conjugation of methotrexate (MTX) to porous silicon (PSi) nanoparticles (MTX-PSi) with positively charged surface can improve the cellular uptake of MTX and inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. Herein, MTX-PSi conjugates sustained the release of MTX up to 96 h, and the released fragments including MTX were confirmed by mass spectrometry. The intracellular distribution of the MTX-PSi nanoparticles was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Compared to pure MTX, the MTX-PSi achieved similar inhibition of cell proliferation in folate receptor (FR) over-expressing U87 MG cancer cells, and a higher effect in low FR-expressing EA.hy926 cells. Nuclear fragmentation analysis demonstrated programmed cell apoptosis of MTX-PSi in the high/low FR-expressing cancer cells, whereas PSi alone at the same dose had a minor effect on cell apoptosis. Finally, the porous structure of MTX-PSi enabled a successful concomitant loading of another anti-angiogenic hydrophobic drug, sorafenib, and considerably enhanced the dissolution rate of sorafenib. Overall, the MTX-PSi nanoparticles can be used as a platform for combination chemotherapy by simultaneously enhancing the dissolution rate of a hydrophobic drug and sustaining the release of a conjugated chemotherapeutic drug.

Microfluidic assisted one-step fabrication of porous silicon@acetalated dextran nanocomposites for precisely controlled combination chemotherapy.

An advanced nanocomposite consisting of an encapsulated porous silicon (PSi) nanoparticle and an acid-degradable acetalated dextran (AcDX) matrix (nano-in-nano), was efficiently fabricated by a one-step microfluidic self-assembly approach. The obtained nano-in-nano PSi@AcDX composites showed improved surface smoothness, homogeneous size distribution, and considerably enhanced cytocompatibility. Furthermore, multiple drugs with different physicochemical properties have been simultaneously loaded into the nanocomposites with a ratiometric control. The release kinetics of all the payloads was predominantly controlled by the decomposition rate of the outer AcDX matrix. To facilitate the intracellular drug delivery, a nona-arginine cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) was chemically conjugated onto the surface of the nanocomposites by oxime click chemistry. Taking advantage of the significantly improved cell uptake, the proliferation of two breast cancer cell lines was markedly inhibited by the CPP-functionalized multidrug-loaded nanocomposites. Overall, this nano-in-nano PSi@polymer composite prepared by the microfluidic self-assembly approach is a universal platform for nanoparticles encapsulation and precisely controlled combination chemotherapy.

Functionalization of alkyne-terminated thermally hydrocarbonized porous silicon nanoparticles with targeting peptides and antifouling polymers: effect on the human plasma protein adsorption.

Porous silicon (PSi) nanomaterials combine a high drug loading capacity and tunable surface chemistry with various surface modifications to meet the requirements for biomedical applications. In this work, alkyne-terminated thermally hydrocarbonized porous silicon (THCPSi) nanoparticles were fabricated and postmodified using five bioactive molecules (targeting peptides and antifouling polymers) via a single-step click chemistry to modulate the bioactivity of the THCPSi nanoparticles, such as enhancing the cellular uptake and reducing the plasma protein association. The size of the nanoparticles after modification was increased from 176 to 180-220 nm. Dextran 40 kDa modified THCPSi nanoparticles showed the highest stability in aqueous buffer. Both peptide- and polymer-functionalized THCPSi nanoparticles showed an extensive cellular uptake which was dependent on the functionalized moieties presented on the surface of the nanoparticles. The plasma protein adsorption study showed that the surface modification with different peptides or polymers induced different protein association profiles. Dextran 40 kDa functionalized THCPSi nanoparticles presented the least protein association. Overall, these results demonstrate that the "click" conjugation of the biomolecules onto the alkyne-terminated THCPSi nanoparticles is a versatile and simple approach to modulate the surface chemistry, which has high potential for biomedical applications.

Copper-free azide-alkyne cycloaddition of targeting peptides to porous silicon nanoparticles for intracellular drug uptake.

Porous silicon (PSi) has been demonstrated as a promising drug delivery vector for poorly water-soluble drugs. Here, a simple and efficient method based on copper-free click chemistry was used to introduce targeting moieties to PSi nanoparticles in order to enhance the intracellular uptake and tumor specific targeting hydrophobic drug delivery. Two RGD derivatives (RGDS and iRGD) with azide-terminated groups were conjugated to bicyclononyne-functionalized PSi nanoparticles via copper-free azide-alkyne cycloaddition. The surface functionalization was performed in aqueous solution at 37 °C for 30 min resulting in conjugation efficiencies of 15.2 and 3.4% (molar ratios) and the nanoparticle size increased from 165.6 nm to 179.6 and 188.8 nm for RGDS and iRGD, respectively. The peptides modification enhanced the cell uptake efficiency of PSi nanoparticles in EA.hy926 cells. PSi-RGDS and PSi-iRGD nanoparticles loaded with sorafenib showed a similar trend for the in vitro antiproliferation activity compared to sorafenib dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide. Furthermore, sorafenib-loaded PSi-RGDS deliver the drug intracellulary efficiently due to the higher surface conjugation ratio, resulting in enhanced in vitro antiproliferation effect. Our results highlight the surface functionalization methodology for PSi nanoparticles applied here as a universal method to introduce functional moieties onto the surface of PSi nanoparticles and demonstrate their potential active targeting properties for anticancer drug delivery.

Conjugation of peptides to antisense interleukin-6 via click chemistry.

Low molecular weight oligonucleotides have been discovered to have potential use for gene therapy by selectively inhibiting the expression of certain genes. Chemical conjugation of functional peptides to oligonucleotides can introduce desired properties to the oligonucleotides, such as cell-specific delivery, cellular uptake efficiency, and/or intracellular distribution. In this paper, targeting peptides are conjugated to antisense interleukin-6 via a copper (I) catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition click reaction. A simple and reproducible solution-phase conjugation procedure was investigated. Oligonucleotide-peptide conjugations were characterized by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The results show that the targeting peptides can be used for targeting delivery of oligonucleotides using the aforementioned conjugation.

Poly[(5-methyl-5-allyloxycarbonyl-trimethylene carbonate)-co-(5,5-dimethyl-trimethylene carbonate)] with grafted polyethylenimine as biodegradable polycations for efficient gene delivery.

In this paper, biodegradable polycations based on polycarbonates with grafted polyethylenimine (PEI) were synthesized as a nonviral vector for gene delivery. Immobilized porcine pancreas lipase (IPPL) was employed to perform the copolymerization of 5-methyl-5-allyloxy carbonyl-trimethylenecarbonate (MAC) with 5,5-dimethyl-trimethylene carbonate (DTC). The DTC molar percent X was equal to 6.7, 12.5, and 45.4, respectively. The resulting copolymers with different compositions (P(MAC-co-DTCx) underwent additional allyl epoxidation and thereby grafted by low molecular weight PEI1800. The MWs of P(MAC-co-DTCx)-g-PEI, measured by GPC-MALLS, were 219800, 179100, and 51700 g/mol with polydispersities of 1.5, 1.4, and 1.2, respectively. Physicochemical properties of these vectors were characterized and the DNA loading was evaluated. P(MAC-co-DTCx)-g-PEI could form nanosized particles (less than 100 nm) with pDNA. The three P(MAC-co-DTCx)-g-PEI/DNA polyplexes had similar buffer capabilities that were better than that of PEI25K and PMAC-g-PEI. Despite a slightly lower DNA binding ability, the PEI-grafted polycarbonates, especially P(MAC-co-DTC45.4)-g-PEI, presented apparently low cytotoxicity and much higher gene transfection efficiency in comparison with PEI25K in 293T cells. Moreover, preincubation of P(MAC-co-DTC6.7)-g-PEI showed a quickly weakening DNA binding capacity, while a suitable degradation rate of vectors would facilitate the efficient release of pDNA from polyplexes after cellular uptake and also reduce cell cytotoxicity. The results of this study demonstrated the promise of P(MAC-co-DTCx)-g-PEI copolymers for efficient gene delivery.

Monitoring of resistance to spirodiclofen and five other acaricides in Panonychus citri collected from Chinese citrus orchards.

BACKGROUND: Citrus red mite, Panonychus citri (McGregor), is one of the most important pesticide-resistant pests in China. In order better to understand its resistance status, six populations of the mite were collected from Chinese citrus orchards for monitoring of resistance to spirodiclofen and another five acaricides. RESULTS: All the samples collected in the field in 2006 were susceptible to spirodiclofen. However, the LC(50) values in populations sampled in 2009 ranged from 3.29 to 418.24 mg L(-1) spirodiclofen, a 127-fold difference between the least and most sensitive populations. Compared with a susceptible strain, 50-fold and 90.8-fold resistance to spirodiclofen was detected in populations sampled from Pinghe and Fuzhou in 2009, as well as cross-resistance to spirotetramat. The LC(50) values for abamectin, fenpropathrin, hexythiazox and pyridaben in the collected samples ranged from 0.041 to 3.52 mg L(-1), from 23.91 to 696.16 mg L(-1), from 13.94 to 334.19 mg L(-1) and from 48.90 to 609.91 mg L(-1) respectively. CONCLUSION: Great variations in resistance to the tested acaricides were observed among the sampled populations. The Pinghe population developed resistance to all the acaricides tested. The Jianning population was susceptible to most acaricides tested, except pyridaben. Resistance management strategies were conducted on the basis of these observations.

Polyethylenimine-grafted polycarbonates as biodegradable polycations for gene delivery.

Polycations as one of non-viral vectors have gained increasing attentions. In this paper, polyethylenimine(PEI)-grafted polycarbonates (PMAC-g-PEIx) were synthesized as a kind of biodegradable polycations for gene delivery. Backbone polymer, poly(5-methyl-5-allyloxycarbonyl-trimethylene carbonate) (PMAC), was synthesized in bulk catalyzed by immobilized porcine pancreas lipase (IPPL). Then, PMAC-O, the allyl epoxidation product of PMAC, was further modified by PEIx with low molecular weight (x = 423, 800 and 1800). The MWs of PMAC-g-PEIx, measured by GPC-MALLS, were 81,900, 179,900 and 200,600 g/mol with polydispersities of 1.2, 1.4 and 1.7, respectively. PMAC-g-PEIx could form positively charged nano-sized particles (30-90 nm) with pDNA, and all the three PAMC-g-PEIx/DNA polyplexes had similar buffer capabilities. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the PAMC-g-PEIx showed much low cytotoxicity and enhanced transfection efficiency could be found in comparison with PEI25K in 293T cells. Furthermore, pre-incubation of PMAC-g-PEI1800 showed a weakening binding capacity with DNA. The biodegradability of PMAC-g-PEIx can facilitate the efficient release of pDNA from polyplexes and reduce cell cytotoxicity. These results suggested that PMAC-g-PEIx would be a promising non-viral biodegradable vector for gene delivery system.

Chitosan based oligoamine polymers: synthesis, characterization, and gene delivery.

A series of chitosan-based oligoamine polymers was synthesized from N-maleated chitosan (NMC) via Michael addition with diethylenetriamine (DETA), triethylenetetramine (TETA), tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) and linear polyethylenimine (M(n) 423), respectively. The resulted polymers exhibited well binding ability to condense plasmid DNA to form complexes with size ranging from 200 to 600 nm when the polymer/DNA weight ratio was above 7. The polymer/DNA complexes observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) exhibited a compact and spherical morphology. The cytotoxicity assay showed that the synthesized polymers were less toxic than that of PEI(25 K). The gene transfection effect of resulted polymers was evaluated in 293T and HeLa cells, and the results showed that the gene transfection efficiency of these polymers was better than that of chitosan. Moreover, the transfection efficiency was dependent on the length of the oligoamine side chains and the molecular weight of the chitosan derivatives.