Neuroprotective Potential of Biphalin, Multireceptor Opioid Peptide, Against Excitotoxic Injury in Hippocampal Organotypic Culture

Biphalin is a dimeric opioid peptide that exhibits affinity for three types of opioid receptors (MOP, DOP and KOP). Biphalin is undergoing intensive preclinical study. It was recognized that activation of δ-opioid receptor elicits neuroprotection against brain hypoxia and ischemia. We compare the effect of biphalin and morphine and the inhibition of opioid receptors by naltrexone on survival of neurons in rat organotypic hippocampal cultures challenged with NMDA. Findings: (1) 0.025–0.1 μM biphalin reduces NMDA-induced neuronal damage; (2) biphalin neuroprotection is abolished by naltrexone; (3) reduced number of dead cells is shown even if biphalin is applied with delay after NMDA challenge

Organophosphorus Chemistry for the Synthesis of Dendrimers

Dendrimers are multifunctional, hyperbranched and perfectly defined macromolecules, synthesized layer after layer in an iterative manner. Besides the nature of the terminal groups responsible for most of the properties, the nature of the internal structure, and more precisely of the branching points, is also of crucial importance. For more than 15 years, we have demonstrated that the presence of phosphorus atom(s) at each branching point of the dendrimeric structure is particularly important and highly valuable for three main reasons: (i) the versatility of phosphorus chemistry that allows diversified organochemistry for the synthesis of dendrimers; (ii) the use of 31P-NMR, which is a highly valuable tool for the characterization of dendrimers; (iii) some properties (in the fields of catalysis, materials, and especially biology), that are directly connected to the nature of the internal structure and of the branching points. This review will give an overview of the methods of synthesis of phosphorus-containing dendrimers, as well on the ways to graft phosphorus derivatives as terminal groups, with emphasis on the various roles played by the chemistry of phosphorus

Efficient Phosphorus Catalysts for the Halogen-Exchange (Halex) Reaction

International audienceNew families of monomeric to dendritic, and monocationic to multicationic (PNP) compounds have been prepared and tested as catalysts in halogen exchange (Halex) reactions. Some of them allow an increase in the efficiency of these reactions which are performed in some cases under the mildest conditions reported up to now

Design of phosphonium ended dendrimers bearing functionalized amines

International audienceSynthesis of unprecedented phosphorus dendrimers from generations 1 to 3 capped with functionalized phosphonium units bearing both P-C and P-N bonds is reported

Mechanism of Cationic Phosphorus Dendrimer Toxicity against Murine Neural Cell Lines

International audienceThe purpose of this manuscript is to study the toxic responses against murine embryonic hippocampal cells (mHippoE-18) and neuroblastoma cells (N2a) to treatment with cationic phosphorus dendrimers (CPD). Two low generations of CPD—generation 2 (G2) and generation 3 (G3)—were applied to cell cultures to monitor events leading to either apoptosis or necrosis. These processes were analyzed using several bioassays, which included the detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) alterations, morphology changes, apoptotic and dead cells, cytochrome c (Cyt c) release, caspase 3 activity, DNA fragmentation, as well as changes in cell cycle phases distribution. The results showed that CPD became highly cytotoxic at concentrations above 1 μM and at 0.7 μM in the case of G3 for mHippoE-18 cells. The toxicity was manifested by a pronounced decrease in cell viability, which is correlated with disturbances in cellular activities, such as massive ROS generation. The breakdown of cellular processes leads mainly to the necrotic cell death. Our findings are of high importance in the context of further biomedical studies on CPD

Design, complexing and catalytic properties of phosphorus thiazoles and benzothiazoles: a concise overview

International audienceThe versatile functionalization of thiazoles and benzothiazoles at different locations in their backbone offers the possibility to design many substituted heterocyclic derivatives bearing active groups for applications in coordination chemistry, catalysis, and medicinal chemistry. The grafting of various phosphorus groups (phosphines, phosphine oxides, phosphonates, phosphinic acids, etc.) via different strategies leads to many phosphorus thiazoles and benzothiazoles acting per se as catalysts for a number of reactions for complexation with metals such as Ir, Au, Pt, Pd, and Cu, for which the catalytic properties were investigated