Studies on a new radiopaque polymeric biomaterial

A new radiopaque polymeric biomaterial has been synthesized. The material, which actually represents an entire family of analogous radiopaque materials, is composed of 2-(p-iodobenzoyl)-ethyl methacrylate (compound 1, 21 mol%), methyl methacrylate (MMA, 60 mol%), and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA, 19 mol%). The terpolymer was synthesized in a radical polymerization reaction at elevated temperature in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). The product was subjected to a set of physicochemical characterization techniques (gel permeation chromatography, 500 MHz 1H NMR in deuterated dimethylsulphoxide (d6-DMSO) solution, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic water contact angle measurements), as well as to an in vitro thrombogenicity assay. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy was used to study interactions of the material with blood platelets. The most important findings are: (a) the material is a genuine polymer with excellent X-ray visibility, even in the form of thin (0.4 mm) drawn fibres. This was established under realistic conditions. (b) The material exhibits low in vitro thrombogenicity, i.e. comparable to polyvinyl chloride, which is known as a passive material. These observations lead us to the suggestion that this type of radiopaque polymer holds promise with respect to application as a construction material for a new type of endovascular stent. This could be relevant in particular to stents to be used in conjunction with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), also known as Dottering. Currently there is a clear trend away from metallic stents towards all-polymeric stents, since the latter have superior biocompatibility.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Studies on two new radiopaque polymeric biomaterials

Two new polymeric materials (polymers A and B) containing covalently bound iodine were prepared. These polymers were evaluated with respect to their possible use as radiopaque implant biomaterials--that is, materials that are visible in a noninvasive manner using routine X-ray absorption imaging techniques. Polymer A is a copolymer of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 1 (80 and 20 mol%, respectively). Polymer B was prepared from MMA, 1, and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) (mol ratio 65:20:15, respectively). Compound 1 was synthesized from 4-iodophenol and methacryloyl chloride. The resulting polymers were characterized with GPC, DSC, NMR, and by measuring both the advancing and receding contact angles. Thrombogenicity of the polymers was determined by an in vitro thrombin generation test procedure. The maximum concentration of free thrombin was 76 +/- 1 nM for polymer A, and 64 +/- 3 nM for polymer B. The lag times (i.e., time onset of thrombin generation) were 392 seconds for polymer A and 553 seconds for polymer B. For PVC-T, which is known as a passive material, a lag time of 583 seconds was found. This indicates that polymer B is comparable to PVC-T, and more passive than polymer A. Polymer A exhibited minor activation of platelets. Polymer B did not induce platelet activation at all. The polymers exhibited, even as fibers with a diameter of ca. 0.3 mm, good radiopacity with routine imaging X-ray techniques in the clinic.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

2′-O-Methyl-cis-adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic methyl monophosphate, a new model system for cAMP. Aspects of structure and reactivity

This study is focussed on 2′-O-methyl-cis-adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic methyl monophosphate (cis-4; cis describes the relationship between OMe (bound to phosphorus) and the adenine base), which is regarded a model for enzyme-bound cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). In this complex the negative phosphate charge is shielded in part via complexation with cationic sites on the enzyme surface. We report synthesis, crystal structure, solution conformation (400 MHz 1H NMR), and kinetic-mechanistic aspects of the alkaline hydrolysis of cis-4. The methanol solvate of cis-4 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P212121 and the cell dimensions are a = 8.170(2) Å, b = 9.249(1) Å, c = 23.699(4) Å; V = 1788.5(6) Å3; Z = 4 molecules per cell. Least-squares refinement converged at R = 0.062 for 2006 observed reflections. The adenine bases are linked via [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] hydrogen bonds in such a way that infinite one-dimensional chains are formed. This hydrogen bond scheme is very similar to that observed in the structure of 2′-deoxy-3′,5′-di-O-acetyl adenosine. An additional hydrogen bond is formed between methanol, incorporated in the crystal structure, and the adenine base. The conformational preferences of the cis-4 dissolved in methanol have been determined with 400 MHz 1H NMR. It is found that the conformations observed in the solid and solution states are practically the same. Hydrolysis of the title compound yields two acyclic phosphate diesters (a 3′- and a 5′-phosphate diester). The intermediates formed during the hydrolysis reaction are most likely five-coordinated phosphorus (PV) compounds with a trigonal bipyramidal geometry and an equatorial-axial located 3′,5′-dioxaphosphorinane ring.

Structural analysis of 2',3'-dideoxyinosine, 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine, 2',3'-dideoxyguanosine and 2',3'-dideoxycytidine by 500-MHz 1H-NMR spectroscopy and ab-initio molecular orbital calculations

Solution structure of anti-AIDS drug, 2',3'-dideoxyinosine (ddI) has been assessed by NMR spectroscopy and pseudorotational analysis in conjunction with its analogues: 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine (ddA), 2',3'-dideoxyguanosine (ddG) and 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddC). The absence of 3'-hydroxyl groups in these compounds has prompted us to establish the relationship between proton-proton and corresponding endocyclic torsion angles in the 2',3'-dideoxyribofuranose moiety on the basis of five available crystal structures of 2',3'-dideoxynucleosides. A subsequent pseudorotational analysis on ddI (1), ddA (2), ddG (3) and ddC (4) shows that the twist C2'exo-C3'-endo forms of sugar are overwhelmingly preferred (75-80%) over the C2'-endo envelope forms. The phase angles (P) for North and South conformers with the corresponding puckering amplitude (psi m) for ddI (1), ddA (2) and ddG (3) are as follows: PN = 0.1 degrees, PS = 161 degrees and psi m = 34.1 degrees for ddI (1); PN = 1.4 degrees, PS = 160 degrees and psi m = 34.2 degrees for ddA (2) and PN = 2.4 degrees, PS = 163 degrees and psi m = 33.6 degrees for ddG (3). The predominant North conformer of ddC (4) is intermediate between twist C2'-exo-C3'-endo and C3'-endo envelope (P = 10.9 degrees) with a psi m of 34.7 degrees. Note that these preponderant North-sugar structures (approx. 75-80%) found in the solution studies of ddI (1), ddA (2), dG (3) and ddC (4) are not reflected in the X-ray crystal structures of 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine and 2',3'-dideoxycytidine. The constituent sugar residues in both of these crystal structures denosine and 2',3'-dideoxycytidine. The constituent sugar residues in both of these crystal structures are found to be in the South-type geometry (ddA crystalizes in C3'-exo envelope form, while ddC adopts the form intermediate between the C3'-exo envelope and C3'-endo-C4'-exo twist form). This means that X-ray structures of ddA (2) and ddC (4) only represent the minor conformer of the overall pseudorotamer population in solution. An assumption that the structure of the pentofuranose sugar (i.e. P and psi m) participating in conformational equilibrium described by the two-state model remains unchanged at different temperatures has been experimentally validated by assessing five unknown pseudorotational parameters with eight unique observables (3J1'2', 3J1'2", 3J2'3', 3J2'3", 3J2"3', 3J2"3", 3J3'4' and 3J3"4') for 2',3'-dideoxynucleosides.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Optimization of the separation of the Rp and Sp diastereomers of phosphate-methylated DNA and RNA dinucleotides

The separation by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of Rp and Sp diastereomers of phosphate-methylated DNA and RNA dinucleotides was studied with respect to pH, organic modifier type and concentration and reversed-phase packing material. Drylab G was used to deduce optimum conditions. On the basis of the observed discrepancies between the computer predictions and experimental results, the gradient operation procedure with volatile buffers was improved. By repetitive chromatography on a 250 x 22 mm I.D. reversed-phase column, fourteen diastereomeric pairs were obtained in at least 97% purity and 60% yield, in amounts of 10-100 mg.

Novel, intramolecular hydrogen-transfer and cyclo-addition photochemistry of cyclic 1,3-dienes

With use of one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy and deuterium labelling, the photochemistry of 9-endo-hydroxy-9-exo-vinyl-bicyclo[4.2.1]nonadiene (1) and the 9-exo-(11-dimethylvinyl)- (2) and 9-exo-ethyl- (3) analogues has been studied. Irradiation of 1–3 gave novel 8-membered ring systems 4–6 by a light-induced rearrangement process, in which the hydroxyl proton is transferred on one side of the molecule toward one of the termini of the endocyclic diene. This rearrangement process thus involves a formal hydrogen transfer, during which either H+ or H• may be transferred to a reactive diene intermediate. Replacement of the hydroxyl proton by deuterium in 1–3, and 2H NMR of the corresponding photoproducts, confirmed that the hydrogen translocation occurs intramolecularly. Prolonged irradiation of 4 and 5 results in the formation of pyran products 10 and 11 by an intramolecular photocycloaddition of the triplet excited state of the α,β-unsaturated ketone to 1,3-cis,cis-cyclooctadiene, via a stabilized bisallylic biradical intermediate. Conformational studies of the structurally more rigid system 10, which is derived from 4, revealed that the hydroxyl proton was transferred on the endo side of the molecule. Key words: intramolecular hydrogen transfer, photochemistry of hydroxy-alkyl-bicyclononadienes, intramolecular photocycloaddition, conformational studies.

Transport kinetics of pseudouridine during hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis

It has been found that the concentrations of pseudouridine in serum of patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) are higher than those in patients undergoing hemodialysis. We analyzed whether this could be caused by a lower rate of transport in CAPD when compared with hemodialysis. Mass transfer area coefficients (MTCs) for urea, creatinine, uric acid, and pseudouridine were determined in nine patients undergoing hemodialysis as dialyzer clearances and in 14 patients undergoing CAPD during a 4-hour dwell with 2 L dialysate with glucose, 70 mmol/L. The theoretical MTC of pseudouridine (TPSI), calculated by extrapolation to its molecular weight by use of the MTC of urea, creatinine, and uric acid, was higher than the observed MTC of pseudouridine, both in hemodialysis (136 vs 112 ml/min, p less than 0.025) and in CAPD (6.9 vs 3.4 ml/min, p less than 0.001). The pseudouridine/TPSI MTC ratio was lower during CAPD than during hemodialysis (0.47 vs 0.83, p less than 0.0005), indicating a lower level of transport during CAPD. In vitro experiments with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy supported the hypothesis of glucose-induced molecular association of pseudouridine. Therefore, dialysate containing 10 mmol/L glucose was compared with that containing 70 mmol/L glucose in eight patients undergoing CAPD. The MTC of pseudouridine was higher during the experiments with dialysate containing 10 mmol/L glucose (3.5 +/- 2.0 ml/min vs 2.7 +/- 1.9 ml/min, p less than 0.05). This was also found for the pseudouridine/TPSI MTC ratio (0.61 vs 0.41, p less than 0.02) and the pseudouridine/creatinine MTC ratio (0.33 vs 0.25, p less than 0.02), favoring glucose-induced decrease of MTC-pseudouridine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Synthesis of well-defined phosphate-methylated DNA fragments: the application of potassium carbonate in methanol as deprotecting reagent

A new deprotection procedure in the synthesis of (partially) phosphate-methylated oligodeoxynucleotides has been developed, involving treatment of fully protected DNA fragments with methanolic potassium carbonate. It is shown that base deprotection can be accomplished in potassium carbonate/methanol without affecting the methyl phosphotriesters. This methodology enables us to synthesize, both in solution and on a solid support, DNA fragments which are phosphate-methylated at defined positions. The solid phase synthesis, however, turns out to be accompanied by considerable demethylation of the phosphotriesters. It is demonstrated that this demethylation does not occur during the deprotection or work-up procedure. Furthermore, it was found that the latter side-reaction is suppressed when the standard capping procedure with acetic anhydride is included.

Peptide-induced parallel DNA duplexes for oligopyrimidines. Stereospecificity in complexation for oligo(L-lysine) and oligo(L-ornithine)

It is shown that the cationic oligopeptides octadeca(L-lysine) (Lys18) and octadeca(L-ornithine) (Orn18) can induce a parallel duplex for the natural DNA oligomer dT10 with thymine-thymine base pairs. Complexation of the ammonium groups in the peptide side chains with the DNA phosphates leads to diminished electrostatic phosphate-phosphate repulsions, which allows this T-T base pair formation. From combined NOESY 1H NMR and molecular mechanics studies, it follows that the parallel duplex is right-handed, with the peptide located in the groove of the duplex. For the natural DNA oligomers dC10, d(C6T6), and d(T6C2T2), only Lys18 is able to induce the formation of parallel duplexes with C-C and T-T base pairs. It is shown that, for Orn18, a complexation must occur with one of the nonbonded oxygen atoms in the phosphate groups (OR) in such a way that unfavorable steric interactions are present with the C-C base pairs, which have a larger propellor twist angle than T-T base pairs. An analogy is presented between peptide complexation with the phosphates and the neutralization of the phosphate groups by methylation, which is known to lead to parallel duplexes with T-T base pairs (for both the Sp and Rp configurations) and C-C base pairs (only for the Sp configuration).

Phosphate-methylated DNA aimed at HIV-1 RNA loops and integrated DNA inhibits viral infectivity

Phosphate-methylated DNA hybridizes strongly and specifically to natural DNA and RNA. Hybridization to single-stranded and double-stranded DNA leads to site-selective blocking of replication and transcription. Phosphate-methylated DNA was used to interrupt the life cycle of the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1), the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Both antisense and sense phosphate-methylated DNA 20-nucleotide oligomers, targeted at the transactivator responsive region and the primer binding site, caused complete inhibition of viral infectivity at a low concentration. Hybridization of phosphate-methylated DNA with folded and unfolded RNA was studied by ultraviolet and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The combined results of hybridization studies and biological experiments suggest that the design of effective antisense phosphate-methylated DNA should focus on hairpin loop structures in the viral RNA. For sense systems, the 5' end of the integrated viral genome is considered to be the important target site.

Regiospecific inhibition of DNA duplication by antisense phosphate-methylated oligodeoxynucleotides

A new synthesis route for long phosphate-methylated oligodeoxynucleotides is described, which were used as antisense inhibitors of the DNA replication. Phosphate-methylated oligomers hybridize more strongly with natural DNA than their natural analogues, due to the absence of electrostatic interstrand repulsions. Compared with phosphate-ethylated and methyl phosphonate systems, phosphate-methylated systems are preferable as antisense DNA, which was concluded from the high Tm values and sharp melting transitions of duplexes of phosphate-methylated and natural DNA. By using the Sanger dideoxy technique, it was shown that a complementary phosphate-methylated 18-mer can effectively and site-specifically block the DNA replication process at room temperature.

Why do all lariat RNA introns have adenosine as the branch-point nucleotide? Conformational study of naturally-occurring branched trinucleotides and its eleven analogues by 1H-, 31P-NMR and CD spectroscopy

1H-NMR conformational studies of six branched triribonucleotides where the branch-point nucleotide was either U, C or G (4-9) have been carried out by assigning 1H resonances through 2D NMR and then observing the temperature-dependent (i) chemical shifts of the aromatic and the anomeric protons, and (ii) shifts of the equilibrium of N and S pseudorotamer populations of each sugar moiety. The data have been compared with those of 2'----5' dimers (1-3) and other branched trimers (10-16). It emerged that all the branched trimers (4-16) adopt a conformational state closer to the corresponding 2'----5' dimers than the corresponding 3'----5' dimers. A temperature-dependent 31P chemical shift study confirmed that the conformational constraint is mainly associated with the 2'----5' phosphate linkage. Although, it appeared with the CD data that when C or especially when U is at the branch-point the overall constraint is weak. This suggests that even if these trimers adopt a 2'----5' dimer geometry, there is a lack of stabilization by strong stackings within the molecule. This is in sharp contrast with the results found for A (10-16) and to a smaller extent for G (8, 9) at the branch-point.

Molecular conformation of 2′-deoxy-3′,5′-di-O-acetyl guanosine. Crystal structure and high resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance investigations

2′-Deoxy-3′,5′-di-O-acetyl guanosine crystallizes in the triclinic space group [Formula: see text], and the cell dimensions are a = 8.643(1) Å, b = 10.122(1) Å, c = 10.391(1) Å, α = 87.04(1)°, β = 73.58(1)°, γ = 72.37(1)°, V = 830.4(2) Å3; Z = 2 molecules per cell. Least-squares refinement converged at R = 0.031 for 3450 observed reflections. The asymmetric unit consists of two independent molecules. The guanine bases are linked via N(1)—H … N(7) and N(2)—H … O(6) hydrogen bonds to form a virtually planar system. Moreover, the conformational preferences of the title compound in DMSO-d6 solution have been determined with 300 MHz 1H NMR. It is found that the X-ray structure and the solution conformation are essentially similar. The C(4′)—C(5′) linkage resides in the gauche+ (g+) or trans (t) rotamers in the solid state, while an approximately equal distribution over g+, t, and gauche− is found in solution.

Structural properties of modified deoxyadenosine structures in solution. Impact of the gauche and anomeric effects on the furanose conformation

A variable temperature high resolution 1H nuclear magnetic resonance study (at 300 or 500 MHz) of the two modified nucleosides 9-(2′-deoxy-β-D-threo-ribofuranosyl)-adenine (1) and 9-(3′-deoxy-β-D-threo-ribofuranosyl)-adenine (2) has been performed. It was found that the furanose conformation in 1 and 2 can be best described as a rapid North (N) [Formula: see text] South (S) equilibrium that is biased toward the N-form. For 1, a marked temperature dependence of the [Formula: see text] equilibrium was found, whereas the furanose conformation in 2 is virtually insensitive to temperature changes. Comparison of these results with the well-known conformational properties of the natural nucleosides 2′-deoxyadenosine (2′-dA) and 3′-deoxyadenosine (3′-dA) revealed that the net result of the gauche effect and the anomeric effect is of major importance in determining the furanose conformation. A brief discussion in terms of the thermodynamic parameters that govern the [Formula: see text] equilibria in the investigated nucleosides is given.

Molecular conformation of 2′-deoxy-3′,5′-di-O-acetyl adenosine. Crystal structure and high resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance investigations

2′-Deoxy-3′,5′-di-O-acetyl adenosine crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P212121, and the cell dimensions are a = 7.768(1) Å, b = 12.890(1) Å, c = 15.495(1) Å; Z = 4 molecules per cell. Least-squares refinement converged at R = 0.054 for 1752 observed reflections. The adenine bases are linked via N6—H … N1 and N6—H … N7 hydrogen bonds, in such a way that infinite one-dimensional chains are formed. Comments are made on the fact that this structure is entirely different from the parallel dimer that was found for 3′,5′-di-O-acetyl thymidine. Furthermore, the conformational preferences of the title compound in aqueous solution have been determined with 300- and 500-MHz 1H nmr. It is found that the X-ray structure and the solution conformation are essentially similar, except for the C4′—C5′ conformation, that is γ− in the solid state, and predominantly γ+ in solution.