Том 49, № 8 (2018)

A 750-MHz electronically tunable resonator was investigated in terms of the sensitivity of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal detection. The conversion efficiency of the radio-frequency magnetic field was calculated for resonators with 50- and 100-Ω coaxial coupling lines using three-dimensional (3D) microwave field and microwave circuit simulators. Based on the simulation results, two tunable resonators were physically constructed and compared in terms of EPR signal sensitivity using a nitroxyl radical solution. While the resonator with 100-Ω coaxial lines provided 14% greater signal intensity, its signal-to-noise ratio was lower than that of the resonator with 50-Ω lines. To demonstrate the capability of the constructed tunable resonator for EPR imaging experiments, a solution of nitroxyl radical and the leg of a tumor-bearing mouse were visualized.

In the treatment with anticancer drugs, it is important to deliver an anticancer agent to target site of the tumor at an appropriate concentration. However, it is difficult to directly measure the distribution amount of the agent and effect of anticancer drug is evaluated using its tumor suppression effect. In this study, we report an approach to visualizing an anticancer agent distribution in tumor-bearing mouse model using Overhauser enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (OMRI). The agent, doxorubicin, is one of anthracycline anticancer drugs and can form a free radical at its quinone sites and could be visualized using OMRI. After direct injection into a tumor, doxorubicin free radical was successfully imaged in tumor-bearing mouse, demonstrating practical usefulness of OMRI in the study of pharmacodynamics of free radical compounds. Imaging of antitumor agent would be potentially useful as a guidance tool for image-guided-therapy of cancer local chemotherapy.

Angular dependence of the proton matrix electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectra was investigated in the oriented Ca²⁺-depleted Photosystem II (PS II). Six pairs of the proton signals have been previously detected in the untreated PS II and one of the six pairs has been disappeared in the Ca²⁺-depleted PS II (Nagashima and Mino, J Biol Chem 290:28166–28174, 2015), where the proton signals with 4 MHz separation were lost and assigned to the proton closest to the terminal Mn, labeled as Mn4 in the Mn cluster. In the oriented Ca²⁺-depleted PS II, the proton signal with 4 MHz separation was disappeared when the external magnetic field is parallel to the membrane normal n (θ = 0°). A pair of broad ENDOR signals with 1.4–2.0 MHz hyperfine coupling was detected in the oriented Ca²⁺-depleted PS II at θ = 90°. These results indicate the Ca²⁺-depletion derives the rearrangement of the hydrogen bonding of the water molecule surrounded Mn cluster.

A stopped-flow-electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) method was applied for the detection of short-lived radicals of flavonoids bearing a catechol moiety as the B-ring, such as flavonols (quercetin, fisetin, and rutin), flavanones (eriodictyol and taxifolin), flavanols (catechin and epicatechin), and flavone (luteolin). ¹⁵N-labeled sodium salt of nitrosodisulfonate (¹⁵NDS) was employed to obtain the highly resolved EPR hyperfine structure (hfs) of flavonoid-derived semiquinone radicals under stoichiometrically regulated reaction conditions in aqueous media (pH 10). The EPR hfs of these flavonoids radicals, except catechin and epicatechin, were recorded. Based on the g value and the proton hyperfine coupling constants (hfcc), these flavonoid-derived radicals were assigned to be semiquinone radicals of the catechol moiety (B-ring). For example, the observed EPR hyperfine structure (hfs) of the luteolin radical (Lut^−·) was composed of four sets of doublet splitting, which could be ascribed to the three protons of the B-ring (a^2′ = 0.136, a^5′ = 0.102, and a^6′ = 0.272 mT) and a vinyl proton of the C-ring (a³ = 0.099 mT). In addition, the characteristically small doublet splitting resolved for the fisetin anion radical (Fis^−·, 0.028 mT) was assigned to the aromatic proton at the C₅ carbon of the A-ring, indicating that the unpaired electron of the radials was partially delocalized onto the A-ring through the π bonds involved in the vinyl-carbonyl moiety of the C-ring. The hfcc of the methine protons at the C₂ carbon of taxifolin and eriodictyol-derived radicals (Tax^−· and Eri^−·) was, respectively, evaluated to be 0.102 and 0.230 mT. The assignment of the proton hfcc of flavonoid-derived semiquinone radicals will be discussed in relation with the molecular structure of the C-ring.

In this article, we briefly introduced our studies on solvation and rotational diffusion of solutes in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) by electron paramagnetic resonance with nitroxide spin probing method. Most of the rotational correlation times for the nitroxide radicals are within the range calculated on the basis of Stokes–Einstein–Debye hydrodynamic theory with stick and slip boundary conditions or Gierer–Wirtz theory except for smaller solutes in some RTILs with smaller BF₄ and PF₆ anions. In RTILs with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium as cation and BF₄ or PF₆ as anion, nitroxide radicals undergo rotational diffusion like supercooled liquids and nitroxide radical with smaller volume rotationally slips.

Phenolic compounds are widely used for a number of purposes, including medical drugs, cosmetics, food additives, and supplementary foods, and are often exposed to the ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. We herein examined free radicals produced from phenolic compounds by UV irradiation using an electron paramagnetic resonance (ESR)-spin trapping technique with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO). The ESR signals of DMPO adducts of the hydrogen radical (DMPO–H) and hydroxyl radical were detected following the UV irradiation of polyhydric phenols, such as hydroquinone, catechol, resorcinol, pyrogallol, and methyl gallate, in an aqueous solution. Radical adducts were not detected in monohydric phenols, such as phenol and methylparaben. The signal intensity of DMPO–H became stronger as the concentration of phenolic compounds increased. The signal intensity of DMPO–H decreased when the solution in which air was replaced with N₂O, a scavenger of hydrated electrons, was irradiated. However, sodium formate, a scavenger of the hydrogen radical, did not affect the signal intensity of DMPO–H. The signal intensity of DMPO–H became stronger as the pH of the solution increased. Semiquinone-type radicals increased following the UV irradiation of solutions of polyhydric phenols in the absence of DMPO. These results indicate that hydrated electrons are generated by the UV irradiation of polyhydric phenols, and that phenoxide ions are responsible for the production of hydrated electrons.

We report the development of a millimeter-wave electron-spin-resonance (ESR) measurement system at the University of Fukui using a ³He/⁴He dilution refrigerator to reach temperatures below 1 K. The system operates in the frequency range of 125–130 GHz, with a homodyne detection. A nuclear-magnetic-resonance (NMR) measurement system was also developed in this system as the extension for millimeter-wave ESR/NMR double magnetic-resonance (DoMR) experiments. Several types of Fabry–Pérot-type resonators (FPR) have been developed: A piezo actuator attached to an FPR enables an electric tuning of cavity frequency. A flat mirror of an FPR has been fabricated using a gold thin film aiming for DoMR. ESR signal was measured down to 0.09 K. Results of ESR measurements of an organic radical crystal and phosphorous-doped silicon are presented. The NMR signal from ¹H contained in the resonator is also detected successfully as a test for DoMR.