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Six minor new ecdysteroid components have been isolated from Silene otites (L.) Wib. by a combination of chromatographic methods. Three of them (2-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone 3,22-diacetate, 5 alpha-2-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone 3-acetate, and 2-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone 3-crotonate) are new natural products.
Reactivity of a number of nitroazole derivatives bearing an alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl group on the side chain toward non-protein thiols (NPSH) was examined both in the phosphate buffer solution and in the biological system. These alpha,beta-unsaturated compounds reacted with NPSH, such as glutathione (GSH) and L-cysteine (Cys), in the buffer solution to afford the 1,4-addition products. The reaction gave a second-order rate constant. The adducts of methyl 4-(2'-nitroimidazol-1'-yl)crotonate (1) with GSH and Cys were isolated and characterized as two diastereomers (7a,b and 8a,b) in ca. 1:1 ratio, respectively. Similarly, exposure of EMT6/KU cells to 1 at 1.0 mM for 1 h resulted in depletion of the intracellular NPSH by more than 80%. Over 50% of the depleted NPSH was attributed to the formation of the conjugated diastereomeric adducts. On the other hand, incubation of EMT6/KU cells with 1 at 1.0 mM under hypoxic conditions before X-ray irradiation caused concurrently a sharp reduction of the shoulder of the dose-survival curves (reduced the extrapolation number (n) from 8.0 to ca. 1.0) and an increase in the slope (decreased the mean lethal dose (Do) to ca. 50% of the control level). The observed effects of 1 on the dose-survival curves were due to the NPSH depletion through the Michael addition occurred in the cellular system. A fairly linear relationship was obtained between the n value and the reduced intracellular NPSH level. It indicated that the shoulder effect of the dose-survival curves of hypoxic cells should be the result of the NPSH depletion by the alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl group attached to the nitroazoles.
A microfabricated drift tube for differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) was used with pyrolysis-gas chromatography (py-GC) to chemically characterize bacteria through three-dimensional plots of ion intensity, compensation voltage from differential mobility spectra, and chromatographic retention time. The DMS analyzer provided chemical information for positive and negative ions simultaneously from chemical reactions between pyrolysis products in the GC effluent and reactant ions of H+(H2O)n and O2-(H2O)n in air at ambient pressure. Authentic standards for chemicals formed in the pyrolysis of bacteria showed favorable matches with plots from py-GC/DMS analysis and were supported by py-GC/MS results. These and other yet-unidentified constituents provided a means to distinguish Escherichia coli from Micrococcus luteus. A Gram-positive spore former (Bacillus megaterium) was distinguished by an abundant peak for crotonic acid evident in positive and negative ions and not observed with M. luteus. In contrast, plots from py-GC/DMS of lipid A and lipoteichoic acid showed poor matches to plots for a Gram-negative (E. coli) bacterium and a Gram-positive (M. luteus) bacterium and the differences were attributed to differences in genus sources of the biopolymers. A significant percentage of the chemical information available in py-GC/DMS is unidentified, and the analytical utility must be established. Precision in the chemical measurement was determined as +/- 0.2 V, 10% relative standard deviation (RSD), and +/- 0.05 min for compensation voltage, peak intensity, and retention time, respectively. The minimum number of total bacteria (cell forming units) detected was 6000 though detection limits and resolution could be varied by the magnitude of the separation voltage in the differential mobility spectrometer.
The Streptomyces lividans KcsA potassium channel, a homotetramer of 17.6 kDa subunits, was found to contain two nonproteinaceous polymers, namely, poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and inorganic polyphosphate (polyP). PHB and polyP are ubiquitous cellular constituents with a demonstrated capacity for cation selection and transport. PHB was detected in both tetramer and monomer species of KcsA by reaction to anti-PHB IgG on Western blots, and estimated as 28 monomer units of PHB per KcsA tetramer by a chemical assay in which PHB is converted to its unique degradation product, crotonic acid. PolyP was detected in KcsA tetramers, but not in monomers, by metachromatic reaction to o-toluidine blue stain on SDS-PAGE gels. A band of free polyP was also visible, suggesting that polyP is released when tetramers dissociate. The exopolyphosphatase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae degraded the free polyP, but tetramer-associated polyP was not affected, indicating it was inaccessible to the enzyme. PolyP in KcsA was estimated as 15 monomer units per tetramer by an enzymatic assay in which polyphosphate kinase is used to transfer phosphates from polyP to [(14)C]ADP, yielding [(14)C]ATP. The experimentally determined isoelectric point of KcsA tetramer was 6.5-7.5, substantially more acidic than the theoretical pI of 10.3, and consistent with the inclusion of a polyanion. The results suggest that PHB is covalently bound to KcsA subunits while polyP is held within tetramers by ionic forces. It is posited that KcsA protein creates an environment in which PHB/polyP is selective for K(+). The basic amino acids attenuate the negative charge density of polyP, thereby transforming the cation binding preference from multivalent to monovalent, and discrimination between K(+) and Na(+) is accomplished by adjusting the ligand geometry in cation binding cavities formed by PHB and polyP.
The thermal degradation of the biodegradable bacterial polyesters poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), PHB, poly(3-hydroxyvalerate), PHV, and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), 0-21 mol % of hydroxyvalerate, was studied. At moderately low temperatures (170-200 degrees C), the main product is a well-defined oligomer, especially a 500-10,000 g/mol macromolecule, which contains one unsaturated end group, predominantly a trans-alkenyl end group, as well as a carboxylic end group. The process was studied regarding the effect of the copolymer composition and reaction time at 190 degrees C. During the first few hours of reaction, the thermal degradation of PHB and PHV followed a kinetic model of random scission, but eventually auto-acceleration of the pyrolysis was detected, probably due to the influence of the crotonate end groups of the oligomers formed. Ten-time scale-up experiments on a Brabender instrument were successfully undertaken.
Treatment of two kinds of ferrocenyl-substituted carboxylate ligands (3-ferrocenyl-2-crotonic acid, HOOC-CH=(CH(3))CFc (Fc=(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))Fe(eta(5)-C(5)H(4))) or O-ferrocecarbonyl benzoic acid, o-HOOCC(6)H(4)COFc with Pb(OAc)(2).3H(2)O, Zn(OAc)(2).2H(2)O, or Cd(OAc)(2).2H(2)O) resulted in four novel ferrocene-containing coordination polymers [[Pb(mu(2)-eta(2)-OOCCH=(CH(3))CFc)(2)].MeOH](n) (1), [[Zn(o-OOCC(6)H(4)COFc)(2)(4,4'-bipy)(H(2)O)(2)].2MeOH.2H(2)O](n) (4,4'-bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine) (2), [[Cd(o-OOCC(6)H(4)COFc)(2)(bpe)(MeOH)(2)].2H(2)O](n) (bpe = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene) (3), and [Pb(o-OOCC(6)H(4)COFc)(eta(2)-o-OOCC(6)H(4)COFc)(bpe)](n)() (4). Their crystal structures have been characterized by single X-ray determinations. In polymer 1, Pb(II) ions are bridged by tridentate FcC(CH(3))=CHCOO(-) anions, forming an infinite chain [Pb(mu(2)-eta(2)-OOC=CH(CH(3))CFc)(2)](n). In polymers 2-4, there are three kinds of components, metal ions, o-FcCOC(6)H(4)COO(-) units, and organic bridging ligands. The bipyridine-based ligands connect metal ions leading to a one-dimensional chain with o-FcCOC(6)H(4)COO(-) units acting as monodentate or chelate ligands in the side chain. Such coordination polymers containing ferrocenyl-substituted carboxylate and bipyridine-based ligands are very rare. The solution-state differential pulse voltammetries of polymers 1-4 were determined. The results indicate that the half-wave potential of the ferrocenyl moieties is influenced by the Pb(II) ions in polymer 1 and strongly influenced by Zn(II), Cd(II), or Pb(II) ions in polymers 2-4. The thermal properties of the four polymers were also investigated.
The cyclopropanation reaction of chromium Fischer carbene complexes with alkenyl oxazolines has been studied in both racemic and enantioselective fashions. The oxazolinyl group acts as both electron-acceptor substituent and chiral auxiliary. Achiral (4,4-dimethyloxazolin-2-yl)alkenes derived from trans-crotonic and trans-cinnamic acids 2a,b undergo the cyclopropanation reaction to give 4a-d,g with excellent diastereoselectivity (trans/cis ratio between 93:7 and >97:3), while those derived from acrylic and metacrylic acids 2c,d give the cyclopropanes 4e,f,h with much lower selectivity (trans/cis ratio between 68:32 and 83:17). The homogeneous catalytic hydrogenolysis of 4 leads in a selective manner to 5 or 6, depending on the nature of the R3 substituent. The removal of the oxazoline moiety is achieved by carboxybenzylation/hydrolysis and ester reduction, yielding monoprotected 1,4- and 1,3-diols 9 and 11, respectively. The alkenes derived from enantiopure (S)-valinol and (S)-tert-leucinol 3 led to cyclopropanes trans-12 with high relative and absolute stereocontrol. Using tert-leucinol as the auxiliary permits attaining total facial stereoselectivity (>98% ee). Reductive cleavage of the cyclopropane ring and removal of the auxiliary afford the enriched alcohols (3S,4S)-9 and (S)-11. The stereochemical outcome of the cyclopropanation reaction is rationalized by a trans approach of the s-cis conformer of the alkenyl oxazoline to the carbene complex involving the less hindered face of the oxazoline auxiliary and the re-face of the carbene complex.
Selective epoxidation of cinnamates versus crotonate was used to detect hydrophobic binding of the cinnamates in the transition states with hydrophobic oxidizing agents in water solution. With peracids as oxidants, no such effect was seen, in accord with the calculated geometries of epoxidation in which the hydrophobic groups of substrate and oxidant could not stack. However, with oxaziridinium salts carrying fused benzene rings there was significantly high selectivity for the cinnamates in water solution, which could be suppressed with added 2-propanol. The hydrophobically induced selectivity changes were even larger, in free energy terms, than those reported previously for the atom-transfer reactions in hydride reductions. Furthermore, the oxaziridinium ions could be generated with oxone from catalytic amounts of the corresponding iminium salts. These substrate selectivities should also carry over to positional selectivities in polyenes.
The permanganate oxidation of alkenes has been studied both experimentally and computationally. Transition state structures were located for the reaction of permanganate ion with a variety of monosubstituted alkenes at the B3LYP/6-311++G** level. Although the calculated activation energy for the reaction with ethene was reasonable, the calculated effect of substituents, based on the energies of the reactants, was much larger than that experimentally found. This was shown to be due to the formation of an intermediate charge-dipole complex which led to the transition state. Reaction field calculations found the complex to disappear in a high dielectric constant medium, and the range of activation energies for the reaction in solution became quite small. MP2 calculations were carried out in order to have a comparison with the DFT results. MP2-MP4 gave unusual results for calculations on permanganate ion as well as chromate ion and iron tetraoxide. They also gave markedly unreasonable results for the activation energy of the reaction of permanganate with ethane. CCSD/6-311++G** calculations gave satisfactory results for permanganate ion and chromate ion. At this level of theory, the reaction of permanganate with ethene was found to have a very early transition state, when the bond lengths of the reactants just began to change. The reaction was calculated to be very exothermic (-69 kcal/mol), and this was confirmed via calorimetry. The rates of permanganate oxidation of allyl alcohol and acrylonitrile were determined, and they had similar reactivities. The kinetics and the products of the reaction of permanganate with crotonate ion were examined in some detail.
The determination of free volatile fatty acids (FVFA) is of interest in the analysis of cheeses. As these compounds are components of taste and flavor, they give indications on metabolic reactions taking place during cheese ripening and can provide an evaluation of cheese defects and their causes. One of the most widely used methods for the determination of FVFA in cheese involves preliminary recovery from the matrix by steam distillation, followed by gas chromatography separation. Relatively high distillate volumes must be collected to achieve a quantitative yield of all the compounds of interest, so that, as a result, the solution is too diluted to achieve good instrumental sensitivity. In this paper, an alternative method for the determination of C2-C6 free carboxylic acids in cheeses involving the use of a Nukol capillary column and crotonic acid as internal standard is described. This method is quick and cheap, as the sample preparation is a simple extraction with water. The underivatized FVFA are then directly separated by gas chromatography. Using this method, all FVFA in cheeses can be quantified with good repeatability and excellent recovery.
The preparation and topical antiinflammatory potencies of a series of halomethyl 17 alpha-(acyloxy)- 11 beta-hydroxy-3-oxoandrosta-1,4-diene-17 beta-carbothioates, carrying combinations of 6 alpha-fluoro, 9 alpha-fluoro, 16-methyl, and 16-methylene substituents, are described. Key synthetic stages were the preparation of carbothioic acids and their reaction with dihalomethanes. The carbothioic acids were formed from 17 beta-carboxylic acids by initial reaction with dimethylthiocarbamoyl chloride followed by aminolysis of the resulting rearranged mixed anhydride with diethylamine, or by carboxyl activation with 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) or 2-fluoro-N-methylpyridinium tosylate (FMPT) and reaction with hydrogen sulfide, the choice of reagent being governed by the 17 alpha-substituent. Carboxyl activation with FMPT and reaction with sodium hydrogen selenide led to the halomethyl 16-methyleneandrostane-17 beta-carboselenoate analogues. Anti-inflammatory potencies were measured in humans using the vasoconstriction assay and in rats and mice by a modification the Tonelli croton oil ear assay. Best activities were shown by fluoromethyl and chloromethyl carbothioates with a 17 alpha-propionyloxy group. S-Fluoromethyl 6 alpha, 9 alpha-difluoro-11 beta-hydroxy-16 alpha-methyl-3-oxo-17 alpha- (propionyloxy)androsta-1,4-diene-17 beta-carbothioate (fluticasone propionate, FP) was selected for clinical study as it showed high topical antiinflammatory activity but caused little hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal suppression after topical or oral administration to rodents.
A series of 9 alpha-halo-12 beta-hydroxy and 12 beta-acyloxy analogues of betamethasone 17,21-dipropionate were synthesized and tested for topical antiinflammatory potency in the croton oil ear assay. The compounds were assayed for systemic absorption in the contralateral ear assay, in which it was found that 12 beta-hydroxy analogues 9, 13, and 15 were all absorbed but the corresponding 12 beta-esters 11a-e, 14, and 16 were not. On repeated high-dose applications to the mouse ear, there was no evidence of systemic absorption of any 12 beta-propionate ester as gauged by thymus weights (thymic involution) and plasma cortisol levels (adrenal suppression). Results of limited SAR studies showed that topical antiinflammatory activity and systemic absorption were not greatly influenced by the 9 alpha-halogen but were largely dependent on the polarity and size of the 12 substituent. While the optimal compounds 14 and 16 were less topically active than the controls beta- and beclomethasone dipropionate, unlike the controls, they displayed no systemic effects, even after repeated high-dose applications. Surprisingly, propionate 14 was devoid of atrophogenic activity.
Biological evidence indicates that the enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.8) is vital for cell proliferation in malarial parasites but nonessential for mammalian cells. 7-Substituted guanines and hypoxanthines in which the 7 substituent bears functional or hydrophobic groups were prepared with the aim of finding a suitably constituted compound whose resemblance to the normal substrate allows it to compete for the reversible purine binding site of HGRPTase while allowing a substituent group of the inhibitor molecule to form a covalent bond or strong hydrophobic bond with appropriate sites on the enzyme. Multistep syntheses that began with hydroxyalkylations and alkylations of guanosine led to four key guanines substituted at the 7 position by the following chains: 2-aminoethyl, 3-amino-2-hydroxypropyl, 3-aminobenzyl, and 4-aminobenzyl. Similarly, 7-(4-aminobenzyl)hypoxanthine was prepared. Reactions at the side-chain amino groups with bromoacetic anhydride (or, alternatively, 4-nitrophenyl bromoacetate) and 3- and 4-(fluorosulfonyl)benzoyl chlorides afforded derivatives bearing functional groups capable of forming covalent bonds with enzymes through displacement reactions. 4-Chlorobenzyl derivatives were similarly prepared as potential inhibitors that might act through hydrophobic bonding. Three 7-substituted guanines whose side chains bear other functions (7-guanine-3-propranesulfonic acid, guanine-7-acetaldehyde, and the ethyl ester of 7-guanine-4-crotonic acid) were prepared as potential inhibitors and for possible use as intermediates. None of these compounds extended the life span of P. berghei infected mice or showed significant in vitro inhibition of HGPRTase from H.Ep.-2 cells.
The preparation and topical antiinflammatory potencies of a series of 7 alpha-halogeno-16-substituted-prednisolone derivatives are described. The 7 alpha-chloro, 7 alpha-bromo, and 7 alpha-iodo corticosteroids were obtained by addition of hydrogen halide to the 6,7-dehydro compounds. The extent of addition of HCl varied with substitution at C-11, while no addition of HF was observed at all. The 7 alpha-fluoro corticosteroids were prepared by reaction of the appropriate 7 beta-hydroxy compounds with N,N-diethyl(2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethyl)amine. The 7 beta-hydroxy steroids were obtained, in turn, from the 6,7-dehydro compounds via the 6 beta,7 beta-dihydroxy derivatives. Antiinflammatory potencies were measured in mice by the Tonelli croton oil ear assay. The greatest effect of a 7 alpha-halogen was observed in the 16 alpha-methylprednisolone series, where 7 alpha-chloro and 7 alpha-bromo substitution increased potency 2.5- to 3.5-fold. Compounds 4b and 5b were equipotent to betamethasone dipropionate. 7 alpha-Halogen substitution in other series produced more variable effects and sometimes led to a reduction of antiinflammatory potency.
The preparation and topical antiinflammatory potencies of a series of 9 alpha, 11 beta-dichloro-16-methyl corticosteroid 17-heteroaryl carboxylates are described. The 17-acyl group was introduced to the 9 alpha, 11 beta-dichloro 21-acetate by direct acylation with the appropriate heteroaryl carbonyl chloride in the presence of 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine. Alternatively, the 21-functionalized 17-hydroxy delta 9(11) compound was acylated at 17, followed by C-ring chlorination. The most extensively studied heterocyclic acyl functionality was the 2-furoyl, but the 3-furoyl, and 2- and 3-thenoyl derivatives were also investigated. Antiinflammatory potencies were measured in mice by a 5-day modification of the Tonelli croton oil ear assay. The most potent topical antiinflammatory compounds were 17-heteroaryl esters in the 16 alpha-methyl series where the 21-substituent was chloro or fluoro. Thus 2p [21-chloro 17-(2'-furoate)] was 8 times as potent as betamethasone valerate, while 2s [21-fluoro 17-(2'-furoate)], 2r [21-chloro 17-(2'-theonate)], and 2v [6 alpha-fluoro 21-chloro 17-(2'-furoate)] were 3 times as potent as betamethasone valerate.
The synthesis and antiinflammatory activities of new steroidal 20-carboxamides, (20R)- and (20S)-21-(N-substituted amino)-11 beta,17,20-trihydroxy-3,21-dioxo-1,4-pregnadiene are described. These compounds were prepared from the respective isomer of 20-dihydroprednisolonic acid, (20R)- and (20S)-11 beta,17,20-trihydroxy-3-oxo-1,4-pregnadien-21-oic acid, by coupling with primary amines after the activation of the steroid acid with N,N1-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) and 1-hydroxybenzotriazole. Confirmation of the configurational assignment at C-20 of the 20-carboxamides was achieved by reduction of methyl (20R)- and (20S)-11 beta,17,20-trihydroxy-3-oxo-1,4-pregnadien-21-oate to the known stereochemistry at C-20 of (20R)- and (20S)-11 beta,17,20,21-tetrahydroxy-3-oxo-1,4-pregnadiene The topical antiinflammatory activities of these steroidal 20-carboxamides were assessed by the croton oil induced ear edema assay and their local and systemic antiinflammatory activities by the cotton pellet granuloma bioassay. Results of these investigations suggest a structure-activity relationship where carboxamide derivatives with the 20(R)-hydroxy configurations exhibit higher potency than those with the 20-(S)-hydroxy configurations. The amides of steroidal 21-oic acids with high local antiinflammatory potency exhibited systemic activities unlike the corresponding esters of steroidal 21-oic acids, which are devoid of systemic activities.
The effect of Cu(I) salt (i.e., CuCN, CuCN.2LiCl, CuI), cuprate reagent, sec-butyllithium quality, solvent, and temperature upon the chemical yields obtained in the reactions of alpha-(N-carbamoyl)alkylcuprates [i.e., N-Boc-protected alpha-aminoalkylcuprates] with (E)1-iodo-1-hexene, 5,5-dimethyl-2-cyclohexenone, methylvinyl ketone, crotonate esters, and an acid chloride has been examined. Cuprate conjugate addition and vinylation reactions can succeed with low-quality sec-butyllithium, presumably containing insoluble lithium hydride and lithium alkoxide impurities, although yields are significantly lower than those obtained with high-quality s-BuLi. alpha-(N-Carbamoyl)alkylcuprates prepared from high-quality sec-butyllithium are thermally stable for 2-3 h at room temperature and are equally effective when prepared from either insoluble CuCN or THF-soluble CuCN.2LiCl. Use of the latter reagent permits rapid cuprate formation at -78 degrees C, thereby avoiding the higher temperatures required for cuprate formation from THF-insoluble CuCN that are problematic with solutions containing thermally unstable alpha-lithiocarbamates.
The phytotoxins solanapyrones D (1) and E (2) have been synthesized from the decalone prepared by the domino Michael reaction of the kinetic enolate of optically pure acetylcyclohexene with methyl crotonate. The decalone was transformed into a solanapyrone core by equilibration into thermodynamically stable trans-decalone (11), dehydroxylation, and dehydration. Condensation of a methyl acetoacetate equivalent followed by cyclization installed a pyrone moiety. Introduction of a formyl or hydroxymethyl unit into the pyrone ring via Pummerer related reactions furnished solanapyrones D (1) and E (2).