Les dommages au nerf optique (neuropathie optique) peuvent entraîner la perte permanente de la vision ou la cécité causée par la mort des cellules ganglionnaires de la rétine (CGR). Nous avons identifié qu’une surproduction de l'anion superoxyde constitue un événement moléculaire critique précédant la mort cellulaire induite par des lésions. Récemment, Suarez-Moreira et al (JACS 131:15078, 2009) ont démontré que la vitamine B12 peut capter l’anion superoxyde aussi efficacement que l’enzyme superoxyde dismutase. La carence en vitamine B12 peut conduire à une neuropathie optique causée par des mécanismes inconnus. Nous avons étudié la relation entre la captation de superoxyde par la cyanocobalamine (forme de vitamine B12 la plus abondante) et ses propriétés neuroprotectrices dans les cellules neuronales. La cyanocobalamine aux concentrations de 10 μM et 100 μM a réduit le taux de production de superoxyde respectivement par 34% et 79% dans les essais sans-cellule. Dans les cellules RGC-5 traités avec la ménadione, les concentrations de cyanocobalamine supérieures à 10 nM ont diminué l’anion superoxyde à des valeurs similaires à celles traitées par PEG-SOD. La cyanocobalamine aux concentrations de 100 μM et 1 μM a réduit la mort des cellules RGC-5 exposées à la ménadione par 20% et 32%, respectivement. Chez les rats avec section du nerf optique unilatérale, une dose intravitréenne de 667 μM de cyanocobalamine a réduit le nombre de CGRs exposées au superoxyde. Cette dose a également augmenté le taux de survie des CGRs comparativement aux rats injectés avec la solution témoin. Ces données suggèrent que la vitamine B12 peut être un neuroprotecteur important, et sa carence nutritionnelle pourrait causer la mort de CGRs. La vitamine B12 pourrait aussi potentiellement être utilisée comme une thérapie pour ralentir la progression de la mort CGR chez les patients avec les neuropathies optiques caractérisés par une surproduction de superoxyde. / Damage to the optic nerve (optic neuropathy) can result in permanent loss of vision or blindness through retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death. Our prior work identified a burst of superoxide anion as a critical molecular event in RGCs prior to injury-induced cell death. Recently, Suarez-Moreira et al (JACS 131:15078, 2009) demonstrated that vitamin B12 scavenges superoxide as effectively as superoxide dismutase. Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to optic neuropathy through unknown mechanisms. We investigated the relationship between superoxide scavenging by cyanocobalamin, the most abundant vitamin B12¬¬ vitamer, and its neuroprotective properties in neuronal cells. Cyanocobalamin at concentrations of 10 μM and 100 μM reduced the rate of superoxide generation by 34% and 79% in cell free assays, respectively. In menadione-treated RGC-5 cells, cyanocobalamin concentrations above 10 nM scavenged superoxide anion similar to those treated with pegylated-SOD. Cyanocobalamin at concentrations of 100 μM and 1 mM reduced RGC-5 cell death from menadione by 20% and 32%, respectively. In rats with unilateral optic nerve transection, a single intravitreal dose of 667 μM cyanocobalamin significantly reduced the number of RGCs with superoxide. This dose also increased RGC survival rate compared to rats injected with saline control. These data suggest that vitamin B¬¬12 may be an important neuroprotectant, which could cause death of RGCs when depleted in nutritional deficiency. Vitamin B12 could also potentially be used as a therapy to slow progression of RGC death in patients with optic neuropathies characterized by overproduction of superoxide.

L’oxydoréduction de monocouches auto-assemblées (SAMs) de ferrocénylalcanethiolates à la surface d’or (FcRSAu) a été étudiée en temps réel par la spectroscopie de résonance de plasmons de surface couplée avec l’électrochimie (E-SPR). La sensibilité de cette technique permet de déterminer des changements d’épaisseur de couche l’ordre de quelques angström résultant d’un changement de structure de la SAM. Plusieurs études antérieures ont proposé que l’oxydation électrochimique d’une SAM de FcRSAu induit une réorientation moléculaire. L’E-SPR est utilisé pour identifier l’origine de ce changement structurel. D’abord, une calibration du réfractomètre SPR utilisé a été effectuée afin de trouver une équation de conversion du signal SPR obtenu en pixel en angle d’incidence pour que l’on puisse calculer le changement d’épaisseur de monocouche à partir du changement d’angle de résonance avec le modèle de Fresnel. Par la suite, une caractérisation approfondie des SAMs de FcCnSAu (où n = 6, 8, 12, 14) en contact avec du NaClO4 acidifié a été réalisée par électrochimie, éllipsométrie, spectroscopie infrarouge et microscopie à force atomique. Les résultats obtenus montrent que l’augmentation de la longueur des chaînes alkyles donne des SAMs de ferrocènes plus épaisses et moins désordonnées. L’analyse par l’E-SPR de ces SAMs pures montre que le changement d’épaisseur induit par l’électro-oxydation dépend linéairement du nombre de méthylènes sur la chaîne alkyle. En appliquant la déconvolution mathématique aux voltampérogrammes cycliques enregistrés pour les SAM mixtes (FcC12SAu/C11SAu) de différentes compositions, on arrive à la conclusion qu’il y a un redressement des chaînes alkyles dans les domaines des ferrocènes agrégés mais la réorientation des têtes de ferrocène dans les domaines de ferrocènes agrégés ou dispersés ne peut pas être exclue. Enfin, l’effet de l’anion électrolytique sur le changement d’épaisseur de la SAM mesuré par l’E-SPR a été étudié. L’analyse électrochimique montre que la capacité de pairage d’anions avec les ferrocéniums décroit comme suit : PF6- > ClO4- > BF4- > NO3-. Tandis que l’épaisseur de la SAM donnée par le changement d’angle de résonance suit la tendance suivante : NO3- ≥ ClO4- > PF6- ≈ BF4-. Des études plus approfondies seront nécessaire pour clarifier cette tendance observée par E-SPR. / The oxidation and reduction of self-assembled ferrocenylalkanethiolate monolayers formed on gold surfaces (FcRSAu) have been followed in real-time by electrochemical surface plasmon resonance (E-SPR) spectroscopy. Film thickness changes on the order of angstroms resulting from SAM structural changes can be detected by SPR. The electrochemically-induced reorientation of the ferrocenylalkanethiolates has been proposed by several spectroelectrochemistry studies. We have used E-SPR to elucidate the nature of the molecular reorientations. The SPR refractometer was first calibrated to find a pixel to angle equation so that Fresnel modeling could be used to calculate SAM thickness changes from the measured resonance angle changes (Δθmin). SAMs of FcCnSAu (where n = 6, 8, 12, 14) were characterized by electrochemistry, infrared spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The results obtained show that an increase in the alkyl chain length gives a thicker and less disordered SAM. Oxidation of the surface-bound ferrocenes to ferroceniums and pairing with ClO4- anions produces a similar change in Δθmin for these SAMs, but the variation in the SAM thickness is linearly dependent on the chain length. Mathematical deconvolution of the cyclic voltammograms of binary SAMs (FcC12SAu/C11SAu) of different compositions was used to separate the contributions of the different ferrocene domains (aggregated vs. isolated ferrocenes). We conclude that the aggregated-ferrocenes undergo a change in the orientation of the alkyl chain orientation. We cannot however exclude that the cyclopentadiene rings also reorient themselves. Anion pairing effect was studied by E-SPR. Our electrochemistry results indicate that the ability of the electrolyte anion to pair with the electrogenereted ferrocenium decreases in the following order: PF6- > ClO4- > BF4- > NO3-. On the other hand, the change in Δθmin does not follow the associated trend observed for the anion pairing capacity but rather NO3- ≥ ClO4- > PF6- ≈ BF4-. We hypothesize that the difference in the uptake water molecules by the oxidized SAM may be the reason for this observation. This hypothesis still needs to be verified.

Numerous natural products are widely used as first-line/alternative therapeutics and dietary supplements in both western and eastern society. However, the safety and efficacy profiles for herbal products are still limited. Organic anion transporters (OATs; SLC22 family) are expressed in many barrier organs and mediate in vivo body disposition of a broad array of endogenous substances and clinically important drugs. As some dietary flavonoids and phenolic acids were previously demonstrated to interact with OATs, it is necessary to explore the potential interaction of such components found in natural products in order to avoid potential OAT-mediated drug-drug interactions (DDIs). The inhibitory effects of 23 natural products were assessed on the function of human (h) OATs, hOAT1 (SLC22A6), hOAT3 (SLC22A7), and hOAT4 (SLC22A11) and/or the murine (m) orthologs mOat1 and mOat3. For compounds exhibiting marked inhibition at initial screening, dose-response curves (IC50 values) and DDI indices were determined. At the initial screening concentrations, 14, 19, and 2 test compounds exhibited significant inhibition on hOAT1, hOAT3, and hOAT4, respectively. Additionally, all test Danshen (a Chinese herbal medicine) hydrophilic components significantly reduced mOat1- and mOat3-mediated substrate uptake at 1 mM. For selected compounds, the IC50 and Ki values were estimated to be in the micromolar or even nanomolar range. Considering the clinical plasma concentration and unbound fraction in plasma, DDI indices for gallic acid, gentisic acid, lithospermic acid, protocatechuic acid, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B, and tanshinol indicated DDIs may occur in vivo in situations of co-administration of these compounds and clinical therapeutics known to be OAT substrates. Finally, a new, rapid, and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated to quantify gallic acid and gentisic acid in cell lysates in order to measure cellular uptake of these compounds in mOat1- or mOat3-expressing cells. Significant cellular uptake of gallic acid was observed in mOat1-expressing cells, compared with background control cells. The absorptive uptake was completely blocked by probenecid (known OAT inhibitor) at 1 mM. These results indicate that gallic acid is a substrate for mOat1 and suggest that human OAT1 might be involved in the active renal secretion of gallic acid.

Ce travail de thèse concerne la conception, la synthèse et l’étude de sondes luminescentes appliquées à la reconnaissance d’anions d’intérêt biologique. En effet, certains anions sont impliqués dans de nombreux mécanismes biologiques, et disposer d’outils pour leur détection permettra de mieux comprendre les processus mis en jeu. Nous nous sommes intéressés notamment au glutamate, principal neurotransmetteur chez les vertébrés, ainsi qu’aux dérivés de phosphates. Les sondes luminescentes que nous avons mises au point comprennent toutes un complexe de ruthénium (II) comme luminophore. Les premiers travaux décrits dans ce manuscrit concernent des sondes permettant la détection des espèces ciblées en milieu organique. Ils ont permis dans un premier temps de mieux comprendre quelles étaient les interactions mises en jeu lors de la reconnaissance des cibles, mais aussi de mieux imaginer la structure des complexes formés. Les chapitres suivant traitent de la conception, de la préparation et de l’étude de sondes optimisées grâce aux résultats de cette première partie. Nous avons ainsi pu synthétiser plusieurs sondes moléculaires capables de détecter sélectivement l’ATP, l’ADP et le glutamate dans des conditions physiologiques. / This work deals with the design, synthesis and study of molecular probes applied to the detection of anions of biological interest. Indeed, some anions are involved in several biological mechanisms and having tools for their recognition will allow a better understanding of these processes. We focused mainly on glutamate, the main vertebrate neurotransmitter, and on phosphate derivatives. All the probes we designed contain a ruthenium (II) complex as a luminescent moiety. The first part of this work examines various probes applied to the detection of our targets in organic media. This study allowed us to gain a better understanding of the interactions involved in anion complexation and of the structure of the complexes formed. Based on those results, the final chapters describe the design, synthesis and study of new, optimized probes. We have thus obtained several probes, able to detect ATP, ADP and glutamate with a good selectivity in physiological conditions.

Neste trabalho mostramos que o método de purificação empregando a coluna ANX Sepharose FF, alternando eluições com CaCl2 (pseudoafinidade) e NaCl, permite obter concentrados do complexo protrombínico e do fator VIII em uma etapa cromatográfica. Testamos as colunas ANX e Q Sepharose FF, monolito QA e membrana Sartobind Q e os tampões citrato, MES e Bis-Tris. Empregando a ANX Sepharose FF e o tampão citrato as proteínas do complexo protrombínico eluiram com CaCl2 25 mM e o FVIII com NaCl 500mM. A recuperação da atividade de FVIII foi de cerca de 60% e o fator de purificação de 220 vezes. Na fração contendo as proteínas do complexo protrombínico foram identificadas por espectrometria de massas a presença de fibrinogênio, proteína C4 do complemento e C4b Binding Protein. A análise das frações mostra que a presença destas proteínas não é devido à variação da concentração de CaCl2, possivelmente se deve à difusão lenta destas através da resina. Mais de 99% das proteínas do plasma não são adsorvidas na coluna e podem ser purificadas em etapas posteriores. / In this study we showed that the purification method employing the anion exchange column ANX Sepharose FF, and alternating CaCl2 (pseudoaffinity) and NaCl elutions, allows us to obtain concentrates of prothrombin complex proteins and factor VIII in a single chromatographic step. We tested the ANX, Q Sepharose FF and QA monolithic column and Sartobind Q membrane and the citrate, MES and Bis-Tris buffers. Using ANX Sepharose FF and the citrate buffer the prothrombin complex proteins eluted with 25 mM CaCl2 and FVIII with 500 mM NaCl. FVIII activity recovery was approximately 60% with a purification factor of 220. In the fraction containing the prothrombin complex proteins presence of fibrinogen, complement C4 and C4bBinding Protein were identified by mass spectrometry. Analysis of the fractions showed that their presence is not due to the variation of concentration of CaCl2, but possibly due to their slow diffusion through the resin. More than 99% of the plasma proteins are not adsorbed in the column and can be purified in following chromatographic steps.

Não há dúvidas que a exitosa exploração do Cerrado só foi possível graças às pesquisas que desenvolveram tecnologias de correção e adubação específicas para esse ambiente. Apesar de estar consolidado como um dos principais ambientes de produção agropecuária do mundo, as pesquisas devem avançar contribuindo, cada vez mais, com aumento na eficiência do uso do fósforo (P), por ser o elemento mais limitante para produção agrícola nesse ambiente. Devido às características dos solos dessa região, parte do P aplicado é retido pelo solo em formas que as plantas não conseguem absorver, resultando na acumulação de quantidades significativas do nutriente no solo. Apesar de não ser um assunto relativamente novo e do grande número de trabalhos, o tema avaliação da disponibilidade de fósforo do solo ainda provoca dúvidas. Além dos estudos em que é avaliada a eficiência de diversos extratores como Mehlich-1 e resina de troca aniônica, outras técnicas passaram a ser utilizadas para esse fim. Estudos objetivando avaliar a distribuição (dinâmica) do fósforo nas diferentes frações do solo e as mudanças nessa distribuição em função do manejo aplicado aos cultivos e, também, do tempo de cultivo, têm sido conduzidos com crescente intensidade. Estudos também têm sido conduzidos buscando identificar as formas de acumulação de P no solo. Para isso, modernas técnicas espectroscópicas, como por exemplo, a espectroscopia baseada em luz synchrotron, têm sido utilizadas como uma poderosa ferramenta, auxiliando na identificação dos compostos presentes no solo. Face ao exposto, objetivou-se avaliar as alterações no fósforo disponível e nas frações e formas de fósforo em solo de Cerrado submetido ao manejo em semeadura direta com diferentes tempos de cultivo. Foram coletadas amostras compostas em quatro áreas que se encontravam no momento da coleta com 5, 8, 12 e 18 anos de cultivo desde a abertura das áreas, e também numa área sob vegetação nativa. O fósforo disponível foi extraído por Mehlich-1 e resina de troca aniônica. As amostras foram submetidas ao fracionamento químico de fósforo e espectroscopia de alta resolução da borda de absorção (XANES - X-ray absorption near edge structure). Observou-se que, de maneira geral, os teores de fósforo no solo foram sempre mais altos nas áreas cultivadas, principalmente na camada superficial, em comparação aos da área com vegetação nativa, o que reflete o impacto das adubações fosfatadas. A aplicação superficial do fertilizante fosfatado gerou nítidos gradientes de P no perfil do solo, principalmente para as frações lábeis e moderadamente lábeis, sendo essas frações as que sofreram maior influência do fertilizante quando comparadas às frações de menor disponibilidade. Considerando-se os mesmos extratores, os teores das frações orgânicas foram maiores em comparação às correspondentes frações inorgânicas. As formas de fósforo nos solos estudados foram predominantemente associadas ao alumínio e ao ferro, com destaque para o nutriente associado ao alumínio, sendo que, com o ferro, a associação ocorreu predominantemente por meio de fenômenos de adsorção em detrimento de fenômenos de precipitação. / There is no doubt that the successful exploitation of the Cerrado was only possible due to the research that developed specific correction and fertilization technologies to this particular environment. Due to the characteristics of soils in the region, part of applied phosphorus (P) is retained by the soil in plant unavailable forms, resulting in accumulation of significant amounts of nutrient in the soil. Despite not being a relatively new issue and the large number of research performed on this topic, the assessment of the soil P availability still raise important questions. In addition to studies in which the efficiency of various extractants have been tested, such as Mehlich-1 and anion exchange resin, other techniques are being used for this purpose. Studies for evaluating the P distribution (dynamic) in different soil fractions and the changes in this fractions due to the management applied to crops and also the time of cultivation have been conducted with increasing intensity. Studies have also been carried out in order to identify the forms of P accumulation in soils. For this purpose, modern spectroscopic techniques such as spectroscopy based on synchrotron light source, have been used as a powerful tool, assisting in the identification of P compounds presents in the soil. The aims of this study were to evaluate the changes in available, fractions and forms of P in soils of Cerrado with different times under no-till cultivation system. Composite soil samples were collected in four areas under 5, 8, 12 and 18 years of no-till cultivation since the areas were opened, and also in a area under native vegetation. The soil in the area was classified as Typic Hapludox and the areas were cultivated alternating crops of soybeans, corn and cotton. Available P was extracted by Mehlich - 1 and anion exchange resin. The samples were subjected to Hedley´s chemical fractionation of P and X- ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). It was observed that, in general, the levels of P in the soil were always higher in cultivated areas, mainly in the topsoil, when compared to the area under native vegetation, which reflects the impact of phosphate fertilization. Surface application of phosphate fertilizer produced sharp gradients of P in the soil profile, especially for both labile and moderately labile fractions, and these fractions suffered the greatest influence of fertilizer compared to fractions of lower availability. Considering the same extractants, the organic P fractions contents were higher compared to the corresponding inorganic fractions. Forms of phosphorus in soils were predominantly associated with aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe), especially P associated with Al, and with Fe the association occurred predominantly through adsorption phenomenon rather than precipitation reactions.

As células trofoblásticas provenientes de cones ectoplacentários na fase de pós-implantação expressam as subunidades do complexo NAD(P)H-oxidase de membrana p22-phox, gp91-phox, p47-phox, p40-phox, p67-phox e Rac1 previamente descritas em fagócitos e envolvidas com a atividade fagocitária destas células. Ocorre modulação da expressão das subunidades do complexo enzimático NAD(P)H-oxidase sob o estímulo com PMA, agente capaz de fosforilar a subunidade p47-phox e ativar esta enzima em fagócitos profissionais. Nossos ensaios experimentais indicam que as células trofoblásticas são capazes de gerar espécies reativas de oxigênio dependente da atividade do complexo NAD(P)H-oxidase de membrana de baixa intensidade quando não estimuladas e de forma muito mais intensa quando estimuladas pelo PMA. As características de expressão e atividade do complexo enzimático NAD(P)H-oxidase de membrana encontradas neste estudo sugerem que esta enzima é semelhante a encontrada em outros fagócitos e, desta forma possa talvez estar também envolvida com processos de defesa da interface materno-fetal. / In macrophages and neutrophils, the activation of the phagocytosis is defined by the acquisition of competence for microbicide, tumoricide and cytolytic functions resultant of generation and release of oxygen reactive species, besides the phagocytic process per se. Like these phagocytes, trophoblast cells in many species are also phagocytic. This cellular population involves completely the embryo and exhibits different and specific characteristics along the gestation. In rodents and primates, these cells are strategically positioned between maternal and fetal circulation and exhibit invasive and phagocytic activity, respectively responsible for anchorage of the embryo into the endometrium and uptake of an adequate nutritional supply for the embryo development. In rodents, these activities present a maximum degree during the implantation period, gradually declining, as the placenta develops. In the presence of strange particles at the maternal-placental interface, however, this process can be reactivated and, in this case, may be related to defense\'s mechanisms. Previous studies performed in our laboratory showed the potential of the trophoblast in producing and releasing reactive species of oxygen/nitrogen, in a very similar manner to that observed in macrophages and neutrophils. The production of such molecules is associated to different enzymes, but the localization of hydrogen peroxide on trophoblast cell surface has suggested a NAD(P)H-oxidase activity. NAD(P)H-oxidase is formed by the cytochrome b558 associated to the cellular membrane (subunits p22-phox + gp91-phox), the cytosolic subunits p47-phox, p67-phox and p40phox and, the GTPases Rac1 and Rac2 in an electron generator system that uses NADH or NADPH as substratum. Once activated, the enzymatic complex is responsible for the electron inflow to the molecular oxygen, yields superoxide anion. Thus, based on the literature and results previously obtained by our group, this study analyzed the protein and gene expression of the NAD(P)H-oxidase complex subunits respectively by immunolocalization and Westernblotting and rt-PCR, in the mouse trophoblast stimulated with PMA. Rt-PCR semi-quantitative analyses showed increase expression of the subunits p22-phox, gp91-phox, p47-phox, p67-phox, p40phox and Rac1 in PMA-treated in comparison with non treated ectoplacental cones. The expression of the subunits gp91-phox, p47-phox and p67-phox were confirmed by Western blotting and, like gene expression also increased in the presence of PMA. These subunits were mostly located in the trophoblast giant cell population, associated to the phagocytic process at the maternal-placental interface. Increased expression of such subunits may be related to an increase in the NAD(P)H-oxidase activity. To analyze this possibility and to determine the role played by NAD(P)H-oxidase activity in the reactive oxygen species produced by trophoblast cells, cellular assays were performed using the oxyethidium fluorescence, a product of dihydroethidium oxidation by superoxide anion. Thus, under PMA stimulus and antimycin A that blocks the mitochondrial NAD(P)H-oxidase activity and, apocynin and allopurinol, respectively blocking the membrane NAD(P)H-oxidase and xhantine oxidase and, still, using specific superoxide and hydrogen peroxide scavengers (superoxide dismutase enzyme and catalase) we showed the generation of reactive species of oxygen-NAD(P)H-oxidase dependent by trophoblast cells, mostly when stimulated. These results come to add important information about the potential of the trophoblast in producing reactive species at the maternal-fetal interface and, open a new investigation interest on the NADPH-oxidase regulatory processes and its involvement in defense functions of the embryo in both healthy and pathological processes that can determine the failure of the gestation.

Le rein joue un rôle essentiel dans l’élimination des médicaments et de leurs métabolites, de ce fait il assure la défense de l'organisme contre de potentiels xénobiotiques toxiques. Particulièrement, les transporteurs des tubules proximaux rénaux qui ont un rôle dans la sécrétion tubulaire des médicaments. Ainsi, ils sont des déterminants important de la biodisponibilité des xénobiotiques dans l’organisme.Dans cette thèse nous nous sommes intéressés à l’implication des transporteurs rénaux humains hOAT1 et hOAT3 dans des interactions médicamenteuses moyennant des modèles in vitro. Après construction et validation des modèles d’études cellulaires HEK-hOAT1 et HEK-hOAT3, nous avons testé l’effet des inhibiteurs de la pompe à protons sur le transport du méthotrexate par les OATs ainsi que l’effet des antiviraux sur l’influx du tenofovir par ces mêmes transporteurs. Grâce à nos modèles cellulaires nous avons tenté d’expliquer in vitro de probables interactions médicamenteuses décrites en clinique. / The kidney plays an essential role in the elimination of drugs and their metabolites, thus it ensures the defense of the body against potential toxic xenobiotic. Particularly, the secretory transporters in the proximal tubule are major determinants of the disposition of xenobiotic in the body.In this thesis we investigated the involvement of human organic anions transporters hOAT1 and hOAT3 in drug drug interactions through study on in vitro cell models. After construction and validation of cells models studies HEK-hOAT1 and HEK-hOAT3, we tested the effect of proton pump inhibitors on methotrexate transport by OATs and the effect of antivirals on the influx of tenofovir by these two transporters. With our models we tried to explain in vitro probable drug interactions described in the clinic.

A compreensão do mecanismo de redução de compostos nitroheterocíclicos pode ser um parâmetro importante para correlacionar estudos entre a transferência eletrônica e a atividade biológica. O nitrofural (NF), fármaco pertencente ao grupo químico dos 5-nitro- heterocíclicos é ativo contra o Trypanosoma cruzi, agente etiológico da doença de Chagas, mas sua toxicidade impede o seu uso no tratamento desta parasitose. Desta forma, realizaram-se estudos do comportamento eletroquímico de três bioisósteros de NF, com substituição ora no heteroátomo do anel (O e S) ora na carbonila (O e S). As técnicas eletroquímicas de voltametria cíclica (VC), voltametria de pulso diferencial (VPD) e cronoamperometria (CRO) em meio aquoso e empregando eletrodo de carbono vítreo (ECV) como eletrodo de trabalho. A finalidade deste estudo foi compreender a influência do efeito estrutural sobre a atividade redox dos bioisósteros, pois os respectivos comportamentos eletroquímicos podem estar correlacionados com a ação biológica. Todos os processos de redução foram controlados por difusão, com a formação de único pico de redução (Ecp,1), sendo os análogos NT e NTS reduzidos em potencial ligeiramente mais negativo. A comparação dos resultados voltamétricos de NF com os obtidos para cada análogo demonstraram que todos os compostos apresentaram mecanismo de redução similar, envolvendo quatro elétrons, sendo em meio ácido o derivado hidroxilmina (RNHOH) o principal produto formado. Os dados obtidos por VPD e CRO corroboraram com estes resultados. Em meio alcalino e com prévio tratamento do eletrodo de carbono vítreo, constatou-se a formação de um pico de redução reversível, com envolvimento de um elétron para todos os compostos. Este pico refere-se à formação do nitro radical aniônico (R-NO2•-), mostrando-se estável na escala de tempo de medida da técnica de VC. Ademais, realizou-se estudo comparativo do efeito do polimento mecânico no ECV, com diamante e alumina, onde os dois procedimentos não apresentaram efeitos significativos diferentes sobre o comportamento voltamétrico dos análogos estudados. O nitro radical gerado eletroquimicamente em meio aquoso sofre reação de desproporcionamento com cinética de segunda-ordem, seguindo mecanismo ErCi (reação eletroquímica reversível seguida de uma reação química irreversível). Os valores da constante de velocidade k2 desta reação mostraram-se dependentes do pH, confirmando que o nitro radical aniônico é mais facilmente estabilizado em meio alcalino, uma vez que com a diminuição da acidez do meio, a protonação do radical torna-se mais difícil. O composto com a inclusão de dois átomos de enxofre (NTS) apresentou os menores valores de k2 indicando uma cinética de reação de desproporcionamento mais lenta praticamente em toda faixa de pH, com exceção em pH 8, com o qual os valores de k2 não apresentaram diferenças significativas. Portanto, os resultados obtidos neste estudo indicaram claramente a possibilidade de geração e detecção do nitro radical em meio aquoso a partir de compostos nitro-heterocíclicos, distinguindo-se de dados reportados na literatura em que se realizam estes estudos predominantemente em meio não aquoso ou misto. / The comprehension of the reduction mechanism of nitroheterocyclic compounds is an important study to know the parameters which can establish the correlation between electron transfer and biological activity. Nitrofural (NF), a drug containing the 5-nitro-heterocyclic moiety, is active against Trypanosoma cruzi, which is the etiologic agent of Chagas disease. Unfortunately, as NF toxicity prevents its use for the treatment against this illness, studies on the electrochemical behavior of three NF bioisosteres were performed. These bioisosteres contained substitutions (O and S) on either the heterocyclic atom or the carbonyl group. The electrochemical techniques herein used were cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and chronoamperometry (CRO) in aqueous medium employing a glassy carbon (GCE) as the working electrode. The purpose of this study was to understand the structural influence on the redox activity of these bioisosteres and to suggest the correlation possibilities between the electrochemical behavior and the biological activity. The reduction processes were all diffusion controlled in acidic medium, with the formation of a single peak reduction (Ecp,1), being the NT and NTS analogue reduced at a slightly less negative potential. The comparison between the NF voltammetric results and those obtained with each analogue showed that all compounds presented a similar reduction mechanism, involving four electrons, being the hydroxylamine derivative the main product formed. The obtained data by DPV and CRO corroborated these results. Additionally, in alkaline medium and with previous GCE treatment by polishing a reversible reduction peak formation was observed with the involvement of one electron for all compounds. This peak refers to the nitro-radical anion formation ((R-NO2•-), being stable in the CV time scale. Moreover, a comparative study was carried out on the mechanical effect in the GCE by polishing with diamond and alumina, showing that both procedures had no significant effect on the voltammetric behavior of the compounds. The nitro-radical electrochemically generated in aqueous medium undergoes disproportionation reaction with second-order kinetics, following the ErCi mechanism (reversible electrochemical reaction followed by an irreversible chemical reaction). The constant rate values (k2) for this reaction proved to be pH dependent, confirming that the nitro-radical anion is more easily stabilized in alkaline medium, since the decreasing acidity of the medium hinders the radical protonation. Complementarily, NTS compound showed the lowest values of k2, indicating a slower disproportionation reaction in almost all pH values, except at pH 8, in which the k2 values had no significant difference among all bioisosteres. Therefore, the obtained results in this study clearly showed that nitro-radical anion can be detected and formed in aqueous solution in contrast to what is reported in literature, in which it is predominantly stabilized in non-aqueous solution or in solvent mixture.

Não há dúvidas que a exitosa exploração do Cerrado só foi possível graças às pesquisas que desenvolveram tecnologias de correção e adubação específicas para esse ambiente. Apesar de estar consolidado como um dos principais ambientes de produção agropecuária do mundo, as pesquisas devem avançar contribuindo, cada vez mais, com aumento na eficiência do uso do fósforo (P), por ser o elemento mais limitante para produção agrícola nesse ambiente. Devido às características dos solos dessa região, parte do P aplicado é retido pelo solo em formas que as plantas não conseguem absorver, resultando na acumulação de quantidades significativas do nutriente no solo. Apesar de não ser um assunto relativamente novo e do grande número de trabalhos, o tema avaliação da disponibilidade de fósforo do solo ainda provoca dúvidas. Além dos estudos em que é avaliada a eficiência de diversos extratores como Mehlich-1 e resina de troca aniônica, outras técnicas passaram a ser utilizadas para esse fim. Estudos objetivando avaliar a distribuição (dinâmica) do fósforo nas diferentes frações do solo e as mudanças nessa distribuição em função do manejo aplicado aos cultivos e, também, do tempo de cultivo, têm sido conduzidos com crescente intensidade. Estudos também têm sido conduzidos buscando identificar as formas de acumulação de P no solo. Para isso, modernas técnicas espectroscópicas, como por exemplo, a espectroscopia baseada em luz synchrotron, têm sido utilizadas como uma poderosa ferramenta, auxiliando na identificação dos compostos presentes no solo. Face ao exposto, objetivou-se avaliar as alterações no fósforo disponível e nas frações e formas de fósforo em solo de Cerrado submetido ao manejo em semeadura direta com diferentes tempos de cultivo. Foram coletadas amostras compostas em quatro áreas que se encontravam no momento da coleta com 5, 8, 12 e 18 anos de cultivo desde a abertura das áreas, e também numa área sob vegetação nativa. O fósforo disponível foi extraído por Mehlich-1 e resina de troca aniônica. As amostras foram submetidas ao fracionamento químico de fósforo e espectroscopia de alta resolução da borda de absorção (XANES - X-ray absorption near edge structure). Observou-se que, de maneira geral, os teores de fósforo no solo foram sempre mais altos nas áreas cultivadas, principalmente na camada superficial, em comparação aos da área com vegetação nativa, o que reflete o impacto das adubações fosfatadas. A aplicação superficial do fertilizante fosfatado gerou nítidos gradientes de P no perfil do solo, principalmente para as frações lábeis e moderadamente lábeis, sendo essas frações as que sofreram maior influência do fertilizante quando comparadas às frações de menor disponibilidade. Considerando-se os mesmos extratores, os teores das frações orgânicas foram maiores em comparação às correspondentes frações inorgânicas. As formas de fósforo nos solos estudados foram predominantemente associadas ao alumínio e ao ferro, com destaque para o nutriente associado ao alumínio, sendo que, com o ferro, a associação ocorreu predominantemente por meio de fenômenos de adsorção em detrimento de fenômenos de precipitação. / There is no doubt that the successful exploitation of the Cerrado was only possible due to the research that developed specific correction and fertilization technologies to this particular environment. Due to the characteristics of soils in the region, part of applied phosphorus (P) is retained by the soil in plant unavailable forms, resulting in accumulation of significant amounts of nutrient in the soil. Despite not being a relatively new issue and the large number of research performed on this topic, the assessment of the soil P availability still raise important questions. In addition to studies in which the efficiency of various extractants have been tested, such as Mehlich-1 and anion exchange resin, other techniques are being used for this purpose. Studies for evaluating the P distribution (dynamic) in different soil fractions and the changes in this fractions due to the management applied to crops and also the time of cultivation have been conducted with increasing intensity. Studies have also been carried out in order to identify the forms of P accumulation in soils. For this purpose, modern spectroscopic techniques such as spectroscopy based on synchrotron light source, have been used as a powerful tool, assisting in the identification of P compounds presents in the soil. The aims of this study were to evaluate the changes in available, fractions and forms of P in soils of Cerrado with different times under no-till cultivation system. Composite soil samples were collected in four areas under 5, 8, 12 and 18 years of no-till cultivation since the areas were opened, and also in a area under native vegetation. The soil in the area was classified as Typic Hapludox and the areas were cultivated alternating crops of soybeans, corn and cotton. Available P was extracted by Mehlich - 1 and anion exchange resin. The samples were subjected to Hedley´s chemical fractionation of P and X- ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). It was observed that, in general, the levels of P in the soil were always higher in cultivated areas, mainly in the topsoil, when compared to the area under native vegetation, which reflects the impact of phosphate fertilization. Surface application of phosphate fertilizer produced sharp gradients of P in the soil profile, especially for both labile and moderately labile fractions, and these fractions suffered the greatest influence of fertilizer compared to fractions of lower availability. Considering the same extractants, the organic P fractions contents were higher compared to the corresponding inorganic fractions. Forms of phosphorus in soils were predominantly associated with aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe), especially P associated with Al, and with Fe the association occurred predominantly through adsorption phenomenon rather than precipitation reactions.