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We report inactivation of encephalomyocarditis virus and salmonella typhimurium by a visible femtosecond laser. Our results show that inactivation of virus and bacterium by an ultrashort pulsed laser light might involve completely different mechanisms. Inactivation of viruses by an ultrashort pulsed laser might involve disruption of their protein coat through laser-induced excitation of large-amplitude acoustic vibrations. On the other hand, inactivation of bacteria is most likely related to the disruption of their metabolism by the DNA relaxation process caused by irradiation of ultrashort pulsed lasers.

Background: The development and optimization of therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is currently hindered by a lack of methods for early non-invasive monitoring of treatment response. Annexin A2, an inflammation-associated protein whose presence and phosphorylation levels are upregulated in RA, represents a potential molecular target for tracking RA treatment response. Methods: LS301, a near-infrared dye-peptide conjugate that selectively targets tyrosine 23-phosphorylated annexin A2 (pANXA2), was evaluated for its utility in monitoring disease progression, remission, and early response to drug treatment in mouse models of RA by fluorescence imaging. The intraarticular distribution and localization of LS301 relative to pANXA2 was determined by histological and immunohistochemical methods. Results: In mouse models of spontaneous and serum transfer-induced inflammatory arthritis, intravenously administered LS301 showed selective accumulation in regions of joint pathology including paws, ankles, and knees with positive correlation between fluorescent signal and disease severity by clinical scoring. Whole-body near-infrared imaging with LS301 allowed tracking of spontaneous disease remission and the therapeutic response after dexamethasone treatment. Histological analysis showed preferential accumulation of LS301 within the chondrocytes and articular cartilage in arthritic mice, and colocalization was observed between LS301 and pANXA2 in the joint tissue. Conclusions: We demonstrate that fluorescence imaging with LS301 can be used to monitor the progression, remission, and early response to drug treatment in mouse models of RA. Given the ease of detecting LS301 with portable optical imaging devices, the agent may become a useful early treatment response reporter for arthritis diagnosis and drug evaluation.

Energy transfer processes between beta carotene, lycopene, and singlet oxygen (1O2) have been studied by ultrafast Raman spectroscopy. Our experimental results demonstrate that during the neutralization of singlet oxygen by beta carotene the excitation energy of singlet oxygen is transferred directly to the first excited electronic state S1 of beta carotene. In contrast, the excitation energy of singlet oxygen is transferred directly to the ground excited vibronic state S0 of lycopene. Our data not only provide the first direct experimental elucidation of energy transfer processes in such important biological systems but also help explain why lycopene is a more potent antioxidant than beta carotene in the neutralization of singlet oxygen.