Photochemistry and Photobiology最新文献

Mitochondria play an essential role in cancer treatment by providing apoptotic signals. Hexyl aminolevulinate, an FDA-approved diagnosis for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, induces the production of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) preferentially by mitochondria in cancer cells. Photosensitizer PpIX upon illumination can release active chemotherapy drugs from singlet oxygen-activatable prodrugs. Prodrugs placed close enough to PpIX formed in mitochondria can improve the antitumor efficiency of PpIX-PDT. The preferred uptake of prodrugs by cancer cells and tumors can further enhance the selective damage of cancer cells over non-cancer cells and surrounding normal tissues. Mitochondriotropic prodrugs of anticancer drugs, such as paclitaxel and SN-38, were synthesized using rhodamine, a mitochondrial-targeting moiety. In vitro, the mitochondrial targeting helped achieve preferential cellular uptake in cancer cells. In RT112 cells (human bladder cancer cells), intracellular prodrug concentrations were 2-3 times higher than the intracellular prodrug concentrations in BdEC cells (human bladder epithelial cells), after 2 h incubation. In an orthotopic rat bladder tumor model, mitochondria-targeted prodrugs achieved as much as 34 times higher prodrug diffusion in the tumor area compared to the nontumor bladder area. Overall, mitochondria targeting made prodrugs more effective in targeting cancer cells and tumors over non-tumor areas, thereby reducing nonspecific toxicity.

Pesticides can improve crops' yield and quality, but unreasonable applications of pesticides lead to waste of pesticides which are further accumulated in the environment and threaten human health. Developing the release of controlled drugs can improve the utilization rate of pesticides. Among these methods, light-controlled release is a new technology of controlled release, which can realize spatiotemporal delivery of drugs by light. Four compounds, named Imidacloprid-Thioacetal o-nitrobenzyl-Phenamacril (IMI-TNB-PHE), Imidacloprid-Thioacetal o-nitrobenzyl- Imidacloprid (IMI-TNB-IMI), Phenamacril-Thioacetal o-nitrobenzyl-Phenamacril (PHE-TNB-PHE), and Imidacloprid-Thioacetal o-nitrobenzyl-Imidacloprid Synergist (IMI-TNB-IMISYN), were designed and synthesized by connecting thioacetal o-nitrobenzyl (TNB) with pesticides TNB displaying simple and efficient optical properties in this work. Dual photo-controlled release of pesticides including two molecules of IMI or PHE, both IMI and PHE, as well as IMI and IMISYN were, respectively, studied in this paper. Insecticidal/fungicidal activities of the photosensitive pesticides showed 2-4 times increments if they were exposed to light. In addition, a synergistic effect was observed after the light-controlled release of IMI-TNB-IMISYN, which was consistent with the effect of IMISYN. The results demonstrated whether dual photo-controlled release of the same or different pesticide molecules could be achieved with a TNB linker with spatiotemporal precision. We envisioned that TNB will be an innovative photosensitive protective group for light-dependent application of agrochemicals in the future.

Resistance to platinum-based chemotherapies remains a significant challenge in advanced-stage high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, and patients with malignant ascites face the poorest outcomes. It is, therefore, important to understand the effects of ascites, including the associated fluid shear stress (FSS), on phenotypic changes and therapy response, specifically FSS-induced chemotherapy resistance and the underlying mechanisms in ovarian cancer. This study investigated the effects of FSS on response to cisplatin, a platinum-based chemotherapy, and doxorubicin, an anthracycline, both of which are commonly used to manage advanced-stage ovarian cancer. Consistent with prior research, OVCAR-3 and Caov-3 cells cultivated under FSS demonstrated significant resistance to cisplatin. Examination of the role of mitochondria revealed an increase in mitochondrial DNA copy number and intracellular ATP content in cultures grown under FSS, suggesting that changes in mitochondria number and metabolic activity may contribute to platinum resistance. Interestingly, no resistance to doxorubicin was observed under FSS, the first such observation of a lack of resistance under these conditions. Finally, this study demonstrated the potential of photodynamic priming using benzoporphyrin derivative, a clinically approved photosensitizer that localizes in part to mitochondria and endoplasmic reticula, to enhance the efficacy of cisplatin, but not doxorubicin, thereby overcoming FSS-induced platinum resistance.

Over 75% percent of ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed with advanced-stage disease characterized by unresectable intraperitoneal dissemination and the presence of ascites, or excessive fluid build-up within the abdomen. Conventional treatments include cytoreductive surgery followed by multi-line platinum and taxane chemotherapy regimens. Despite an initial response to treatment, over 75% of patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer will relapse and succumb to platinum-resistant disease. Recent evidence suggests that fluid shear stress (FSS), which results from the movement of fluid such as ascites, induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and confers resistance to carboplatin in ovarian cancer cells. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that FSS-induced platinum resistance correlates with increased cellular protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), the penultimate downstream product of heme biosynthesis, the production of which can be enhanced using the clinically approved pro-drug aminolevulinic acid (ALA). These data suggest that, with further investigation, PpIX could serve as a fluorescence-based biomarker of FSS-induced platinum resistance. Additionally, this study investigates the efficacy of PpIX-enabled photodynamic therapy (PDT) and the secretion of extracellular vesicles under static and FSS conditions in Caov-3 and NIH:OVCAR-3 cells, two representative cell lines for high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), the most lethal form of the disease. FSS induces resistance to ALA-PpIX-mediated PDT, along with a significant increase in the number of EVs. Finally, the ability of PpIX-mediated photodynamic priming (PDP) to enhance carboplatin efficacy under FSS conditions is quantified. These preliminary findings in monolayer cultures necessitate additional studies to determine the feasibility of PpIX as a fluorescence-based indicator, and mediator of PDP, to target chemoresistance in the context of FSS.

This study aims to evaluate and compare the effect of fibroblastic growth factor 2 (FGF-2) and photobiomodulation, solely or in combination, in angiogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs). The study comprises the following groups: control group (hPDLSCs only), FGF-2 (50 ng/mL) group, two photobiomodulation groups with a 4 J/cm² energy density of 808 nm diode laser (1-Session or 2-Session), and two groups with the combination of each 1-Session or 2-Session photobiomodulation with FGF-2 (50 ng/mL). The 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining, and Methyl Thiazolyl Tetrazolium (MTT) assay were undertaken on days 2, 4, and 6. Quantitative Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis on days 2, 4, 6, 8, and 11 was conducted to investigate VEGF-A and ANG-I genes. Coherently, the results of the DAPI and MTT showed the Laser (2-Session) group had higher cell viability than others on day 6. All groups demonstrated a growth pattern in the expression of VEGF-A and ANG-I from day 2 to 8 and, afterward, a significant downgrowth to day 11 (p < 0.05). The most amounts of expression of VEGF-A and ANG-I on day 8 were seen in the Laser (2-Session) group. Two-time application of photobiomodulation using a diode laser with 808 nm wavelength after 2 and 4 days of cell seeding can be associated with higher cell viability and angiogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs compared to the one-time application of photobiomodulation and administration of FGF-2.

Guidance on maximal limits for ultraviolet (UV) exposure has been developed by national and international organizations to protect against adverse effects on human skin and eyes. These guidelines consider the risk of both acute effects (i.e., erythema and photokeratitis) and delayed effects (e.g., skin and ocular cancers) when determining exposure limits, and specify the dose a person can safely receive during an 8-h period without harmful effects. The determination of these exposure limits relies on the action spectra of photobiological responses triggered by UV radiation that quantify the effectiveness of each wavelength at eliciting each of these effects. With growing interest in using far-UVC (200-235 nm) radiation to control the spread of airborne pathogens, recent arguments have emerged about revisiting exposure limits for UV wavelengths. However, the standard erythema action spectrum, which provides some of the quantitative basis for these limits, has not been extended below 240 nm. This study assists to expand the erythema action spectrum to far-UVC wavelengths using a hairless albino mice model. We estimate that inducing acute effects on mouse skin with 222 nm radiation requires a dose of 1162 mJ/cm², well above the current ACGIH skin exposure limit of 480 mJ/cm².

To elucidate the inhibition effects of Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺ on the luciferin-luciferase reaction, we performed quantitative measurements of quantum yields and spectral shapes for in vitro firefly bioluminescence in aqueous solutions containing ZnSO₄, ZnCl₂, CdSO₄, and CdCl₂ at different concentrations. Particular care was taken toward the equilibrium between metal ions and enzyme proteins, anion difference, solubility, and uncertainty evaluation. The bioluminescence quantum yields decreased almost linearly to the concentration of Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺ below 0.25 mM. No obvious difference was found between the chloride and sulfate anion solutions. We defined inhibition sensitivity as the decrease in relative quantum yield versus the concentration of metal ions, and they were determined to be 1.48 ± 0.13 and 1.13 ± 0.16/mM for Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺, respectively. We estimated the detection limit of inhibition effects as the concentration of metal ions that decrease relative quantum yields by 10%, which were 0.07 mM (4 ppm) and 0.09 mM (10 ppm) for Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺, respectively. The shape of the bioluminescence spectra changed sensitively with the increase in Zn²⁺ concentrations. The bioluminescence peak energy for 0.10-mM Zn²⁺ was ~2.2 eV, while that for 0.25-mM Zn²⁺ was ~2.0 eV. The shape of the spectra changed less sensitively with the increase in Cd²⁺concentrations, and the peak energy was at ~2.2 eV for Cd²⁺ concentrations of 0.10 and 0.25 mM.

Mitochondria play an important role in cellular function, not only as a major site of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production but also by regulating energy expenditure, apoptosis signaling, control of the cell cycle, cellular growth, cell differentiation, transportation of metabolites, and production of reactive oxygen species. Interaction with electromagnetic waves can lead to dysregulation or alterations in the patterns of energy activities in the mitochondria. Ultraviolet light (UV) can be found in sunlight and artificial sources, such as lamps. UV radiation can cause damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids. Besides that, UV radiation is largely used in microorganism disinfection. To establish possible alterations in mitochondrial bioenergetics, this study proposes to investigate the UV (at two distinct intervals) effects on isolated mitochondria from mice liver to obtain direct responses and selective permeability of the internal membrane information. UVA-371 and UVC-255 nm lamps were used to irradiate, at different doses varying from 22.5 to 756 mJ/cm², isolated mitochondria samples. Mitochondrial respiration pathways were investigated by high-resolution respirometry, and possible mitochondrial membrane damages were evaluated by mitochondrial swelling by spectrophotometer analysis. UVC irradiation results (in the higher dose) indicate decrease in 75% of mitochondrial bioenergetics capacity, such as limitation of oxidative phosphorylation in 60% and increased energy dissipation in 30%. Mitochondrial swelling experiments (spectrophotometer) indicated inner membrane damage, and consequently a loss of selective permeability. Direct correlation between irradiation and effect responses was observed, mitochondrial bioenergetics is severely affected by UVC radiation, but (UVA) radiation did not present bioenergetic alterations. These alterations can contribute to improving the knowledge behind the cell death mechanism in disinfection UV light and UV therapy such as phototherapy.