Losartan and human serum albumin (HSA) were obtained from Synfine (Ontario, Canada) and Sanquin (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), respectively. Losartan was first coupled to Universal Linkage System (ULS; Kreatech BV, The Netherlands). ULS was prepared as described elsewhere.11 ULS (32 μmol)

in dimethylformamide (DMF) was added to a solution of losartan (32 μmol, 10 mg/mL of the potassium click here salt of losartan in DMF). Mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the presence of the 1:1 losartan-ULS species after completion of the reaction, whereas 195Pt-NMR confirmed the coordination of Pt(II) to a nitrogen donor site. Ion-spray mass spectrometry (ESI+) mass-to-charge ratio (m/z): 711-717 [losartan-ULS-Cl]+, 748-754 [losartan-ULS-DMF]+ 195Pt NMR of losartan-ULS (CD3OD): −2491 and −2658 ppm. M6PHSA was prepared and characterized as described previously.16 A total of 10 mg M6PHSA (14.3 nmol) was dissolved in 1 mL 20 mM tricine/NaNO3 buffer (pH 8.5) and reacted with losartan-ULS (143 nmol) in 10-fold molar excess overnight at 37°C. The

losartan-M6PHSA product was purified by dialysis against PBS at 4°C, filter-sterilized and stored at −20°C. Protein content of the conjugates was assessed by the BCA assay (Pierce, Rockford, IL). ULS content per losartan-M6PHSA was evaluated by inductively coupled DAPT in vivo plasma–atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) at 214.424 nm and at 265.945 nm with a VISTA AX CCD Simultaneous ICP-AES (Varian, Palo Alto, CA). Standards (cisplatin) and unknown samples were spiked with yttrium as an internal standard (360.074 nm). Losartan conjugated to M6PHSA was determined after competitive dissociation of drug-ULS bonds by potassium thiocyanate, as described previously.11, 15 High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses were performed on a thermostated C18 column (Sunfire; MCE公司 Waters Inc., Milford, MA) with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile–water–trifluoroacetic acid (30:70:0.1, vol/vol/vol; pH 2.0). Losartan-M6PHSA and M6PHSA were subjected to anion-exchange and size exclusion chromatography as described.9

Liver fibrosis was induced in 250 g male Wistar rats (Harlan, Zeist, The Netherlands) by either bile duct ligation or chronic treatment with CCl4. For the bile duct ligation,17 rats were anesthesized with isoflurane (2% isoflurane in 2:1 O2/N2O, 1 L/minute; Abbot Laboratories Ltd., Queensborough, UK). The common bile duct was doubly ligated with 4-0 silk and transected between the two ligations. Sham operation was performed similarly with exception of ligating and transecting the bile duct. Animals were sacrificed 15 days after surgery. Arterial blood pressure was measured immediately before tissue harvesting. Animals were anesthesized with pentobarbital (30 mg/kg intraperitoneally) and the right carotid artery was cannulated (PE-90; Transonics Systems Inc., Ithaca, NY).