Objective Macrophages are critical contributors in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) disease. We examined the ability of MKEY, a peptide inhibitor of CXCL4-CCL5 interaction, to influence AAA progression in murine models. Methods and Results AAAs were created in 10-week-old male C57BL/6 mice by transient infrarenal aortic porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) infusion. Mice were treated with MKEY via intravenous injection either 1) before PPE infusion, or 2) after aneurysm initiation. Immunostaining demonstrated CCL5 and CCR5 expression on aneurysmal aortae and mural monocytes/macrophages, respectively. MKEY treatment partially inhibited transmural AAA migration of adaptively transferred leukocytes in recipient mice. While all vehicle-pretreated mice developed AAA, aneurysms formed in only 60% (3/5) and 14% (1/7) of mice pretreated with MKEY at 10 and 20 mg /kg, respectively. MKEY pretreatment reduced aortic diameter enlargement, preserved medial elastin fibers and smooth muscle cells, and attenuated mural macrophage infiltration, angiogenesis, and aortic MMP2 & 9 expression following PPE infusion. MKEY initiated after PPE infusion also stabilized and/or reduced enlargement of existing AAAs. Finally, MKEY treatment was effective in limiting AAA formation following angiotensin II infusion in apolipoprotein E deficient mice. Conclusion MKEY suppresses AAA formation and progression in two complementary experimental models. Peptide inhibition of CXCL4-CCL5 interactions may represent a viable translational strategy to limit progression of human AAA disease.

Catalytic enantioselective Baeyer-Villiger (BV) oxidations of racemic and meso cyclic ketones were achieved in the presence of chiral N,N'-dioxide-Sc(III) complex catalysts. The BV oxidations of prochiral cyclohexanones and cyclobutanones afforded series of optically active ε- and γ-lactones, respectively, in up to 99% yield and 95% ee. Meanwhile, the kinetic resolution of racemic 2-arylcyclohexanones was also realized via an abnormal BV oxidation. Enantioenriched 3-aryloxepan-2-ones, whose formation is counter to the migratory aptitude, were obtained preferentially. Both the lactones and the unreacted ketones were obtained with high ee values.

α-Diazoesters were discovered to be good electrophiles in a catalytic asymmetric α-functionalization of ketones for the first time. This reaction also provided a direct and efficient method for C-N bond formation with excellent yields (up to 98%) and enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) under mild conditions. The application of the electrophilicity of α-diazoesters opens up a novel way to access the diversity of diazo chemistry.

Objective: We examined the pathogenic significance of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor)-A in experimental abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) and the translational value of pharmacological VEGF-A or its receptor inhibition in aneurysm suppression. Approaches and Results: AAAs were created in male C57BL/6J mice via intra-aortic elastase infusion. Soluble VEGFR (VEGF receptor)-2 extracellular ligand-binding domain (delivered in Ad [adenovirus]-VEGFR-2), anti–VEGF-A mAb (monoclonal antibody), and sunitinib were used to sequester VEGF-A, neutralize VEGF-A, and inhibit receptor tyrosine kinase activity, respectively. Influences on AAAs were assessed using ultrasonography and histopathology. In vitro transwell migration and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays were used to assess myeloid cell chemotaxis and mRNA expression, respectively. Abundant VEGF-A mRNA and VEGF-A–positive cells were present in aneurysmal aortae. Sequestration of VEGF-A by Ad-VEGFR-2 prevented AAA formation, with attenuation of medial elastolysis and smooth muscle depletion, mural angiogenesis and monocyte/macrophage infiltration. Treatment with anti–VEGF-A mAb prevented AAA formation without affecting further progression of established AAAs. Sunitinib therapy substantially mitigated both AAA formation and further progression of established AAAs, attenuated aneurysmal aortic MMP2 (matrix metalloproteinase) and MMP9 protein expression, inhibited inflammatory monocyte and neutrophil chemotaxis to VEGF-A, and reduced MMP2, MMP9, and VEGF-A mRNA expression in macrophages and smooth muscle cells in vitro. Additionally, sunitinib treatment reduced circulating monocytes in aneurysmal mice. Conclusions: VEGF-A and its receptors contribute to experimental AAA formation by suppressing mural angiogenesis, MMP and VEGF-A production, myeloid cell chemotaxis, and circulating monocytes. Pharmacological inhibition of receptor tyrosine kinases by sunitinib or related compounds may provide novel opportunities for clinical aneurysm suppression.

The interplay between electronic correlations and topological protection may offer a rich avenue for discovering emergent quantum phenomena in condensed matter. However, electronic correlations have so far been little investigated in Weyl semimetals (WSMs) by experiments. Here, we report a combined optical spectroscopy and theoretical calculation study on the strength and effect of electronic correlations in a magnet Co 3 Sn 2 S 2. The electronic kinetic energy estimated from our optical data is about half of that obtained from single-particle ab initio calculations in the ferromagnetic ground state, which indicates intermediate-strength electronic correlations in this system. Furthermore, comparing the energy and side-slope ratios between the interband-transition peaks at high energies in the experimental and single-particle-calculation-derived optical conductivity spectra with the bandwidth-renormalization factors obtained by many-body calculations enables us to estimate the Coulomb-interaction strength (U ∼ 4 eV) in Co 3 Sn 2 S 2. Besides, a sharp experimental optical conductivity peak at low energy, which is absent in the single-particlecalculation-derived spectrum but is consistent with the optical conductivity peaks obtained by many-body calculations with U ∼ 4 eV, indicates that an electronic band connecting the two Weyl cones is flattened by electronic correlations and emerges near the Fermi energy in Co 3 Sn 2 S 2. Our work paves the way for exploring flat-band-generated quantum phenomena in WSMs.

The first catalytic enantioselective Roskamp reaction of alpha-alkyl-alpha-diazoesters with aromatic aldehydes was realized using a simple chiral N,N'-dioxide-scandium(III) complex. Remarkably, with 0.05 mol % catalyst, the reaction was performed well over a series of substrates, giving the desired products chemoselectively in excellent yields (up to 99%) and enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee) under mild conditions. This protocol provides a promising method for the synthesis of chiral alpha-alkyl-beta-keto esters and 1,3-diols.

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Full investigation of cyanation of aldehydes, ketones, aldimines and ketimines with trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN) or ethyl cyanoformate (CNCOOEt) as the cyanide source has been accomplished by employing an in situ generated catalyst from cinchona alkaloid, tetraisopropyl titanate [Ti(OiPr)(4)] and an achiral modified biphenol. With TMSCN as the cyanide source, good to excellent results have been achieved for the Strecker reaction of N-Ts (Ts=p-toluenesulfonyl) aldimines and ketimines (up to >99% yield and >99% ee) as well as for the cyanation of ketones (up to 99% yield and 98% ee). By using CNCOOEt as the alternative cyanide source, cyanation of aldehyde was accomplished and various enantioenriched cyanohydrin carbonates were prepared in up to 99% yield and 96% ee. Noteworthy, CNCOOEt was successfully employed for the first time in the asymmetric Strecker reaction of aldimines and ketimines, affording various alpha-amino nitriles with excellent yields and ee values (up to >99% yield and >99% ee). The merits of current protocol involved facile availability of ligand components, operational simplicity and mild reaction conditions, which made it convenient to prepare synthetically important chiral cyanohydrins and alpha-amino nitriles. Furthermore, control experiments and NMR analyses were performed to shed light on the catalyst structure. It is indicated that all the hydroxyl groups in cinchona alkaloid and biphenol complex with Ti(IV), forming the catalyst with the structure of (biphenoxide)Ti(OR*)(OiPr). The absolute configuration adopted by biphenol 4 m in the catalyst was identified as S configuration according to the evidence from control experiments and NMR analyses. Moreover, the roles of the protonic additive (iPrOH) and the tertiary amine in the cinchona alkaloid were studied in detail, and the real cyanide reagent in the catalytic cycle was found to be hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Finally, two plausible catalytic cycles were proposed to elucidate the reaction mechanisms.