Extraction properties of tetraheptylresorcin[4]arenes in relation to Cr(III) ions

Resorcin[4]arene-based ligand bearing four heptyl chains at the lower rim of the molecule was prepared and modified by four tetradietoxyphosphoryl groups in the upper rim. The compounds obtained were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and their extractability toward chromium(III) ions was studied. The influence of process parameters such as the pH of aqueous phase, agitation time and also extractant’s structure and concentration on efficiency of Cr(III) ions solvent extraction is presented. The highest yield of Cr(III) solvent extraction was obtained for two-hour agitation time of 5.010−4 M metal solution of pH 5.0 and 5.010−3 M chloroform solution of the tetradietoxyphosphorylated derivative of heptyl-resorcin[4]arene. Under optimal conditions, competitive solvent extraction of Cr(III), Zn(II), and Cd(II) ions was performed and separation factor values were established as 77.0 and 24.9 for Cr(III)/Cd(II) and Cr(III)/Zn(II) ions pairs, respectively. The stoichiometry of formed metal-ligand complexes 1:1 was found by classical slope analysis method

Lead(II) removal from aqueous solutions by solvent extraction with tetracarboxylresorcin[4]arene

A novel tetracarboxylresorcin[4]arene was synthesized and its selective complexing ability towards Pb(II) ions was examined. The influence of several parameters such as pH of aqueous phase, agitation time, extractant and modifier concentrations on solvent extraction of Pb(II) ions from the aque-ous nitrate phase into chloroform organic phase was studied. The stoichiometry of the formed metal-ligand complexes was established by slope analysis. Pb(II) ions were quantitatively extracted in the form of 2:1 Pb(II)-resorcin[4]arene complex from aqueous solutions of pH 5.5 to the solution of ligand in chloroform. Competitive solvent extraction experiments in the presence of Zn(II) and Cd(II) ions were also carried out and high selectivity of the extractant towards Pb(II) over Zn(II) and Cd(II) was found. The selectivity order was: Pb(II) >> Cd(II) > Zn(II)

Toxidrome Recognition to Improve Efficiency of Emergency Urine Drug Screens

We correlated clinical symptom complexes of drugs (toxidromes) to results of 204 consecutive toxicological screens ordered in our emergency-department. The toxidromes were divided into eight categories: sedative hypnotic, narcotic, stimulant, coma-apnea-seizure, hallucinogenic, anticholinergic, unknown, and no drugs. Emergency medicine nurses, clinical pharmacists, and medical residents were asked to choose one or more of the above toxidromes independently when ordering the toxicology screen. The nurses achieved the highest symptom complex recognition of the drug (55 of 61, 88%) followed by medical residents (76 of 90, 84%) and clinical pharmacists (27 of 34, 79.4%), but the differences were not statistically significant. We conclude that the major determinant in selecting correct toxidromes is clinical experience of the practitioners. Given the percentages of toxidrome recognition, it should be possible to increase efficiency of laboratory use by ordering tests only for the drugs clinically suspected in a particular toxic patient

Arteriovenous malformation Map2k1 mutation affects vasculogenesis

Abstract Somatic activating MAP2K1 mutations in endothelial cells (ECs) cause extracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM). We previously reported the generation of a mouse line allowing inducible expression of constitutively active MAP2K1 (p.K57N) from the Rosa locus (R26 GT-Map2k1-GFP/+) and showed, using Tg-Cdh5CreER, that EC expression of mutant MAP2K1 is sufficient for the development of vascular malformations in the brain, ear, and intestines. To gain further insight into the mechanism by which mutant MAP2K1 drives AVM development, we induced MAP2K1 (p.K57N) expression in ECs of postnatal-day-1 pups (P1) and investigated the changes in gene expression in P9 brain ECs by RNA-seq. We found that over-expression of MAP2K1 altered the transcript abundance of > 1600 genes. Several genes had > 20-fold changes between MAP2K1 expressing and wild-type ECs; the highest were Col15a1 (39-fold) and Itgb3 (24-fold). Increased expression of COL15A1 in R26 GT-Map2k1-GFP/+; Tg-Cdh5CreER +/− brain ECs was validated by immunostaining. Ontology showed that differentially expressed genes were involved in processes important for vasculogenesis (e.g., cell migration, adhesion, extracellular matrix organization, tube formation, angiogenesis). Understanding how these genes and pathways contribute to AVM formation will help identify targets for therapeutic intervention