Use of high-pressure liquid chromatography for quantitative structure-activity relationship studies of sulfonamides and barbiturates

Occurrence and removal of selected micropollutants in a water treatment plant

The levels of 14 micropollutants including nine pharmaceuticals, two pesticides, and three endocrine disruptors were measured in a water treatment plant (WTP) in Seoul, Korea. Among the measured micropollutants, 12 (excluding atrazine and triclocarban) were found in the influent and effluent from the WTP, at levels ranging from 2 to 482 ng L(-1). The removal efficiencies of the detected micropollutants in the WTP ranged from 6% to 100%. Among them diclofenac, acetaminophen, caffeine, carbamazepine, and 2,4-D were effectively removed (>80%). Metoprolol was unlikely to be removed (6%) in the WTP process. Concentrations of acetaminophen, metoprolol, ibuprofen, and naproxen were higher in winter, while levels of herbicides of 2,4-dichloro-phenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) were higher in summer. Metoprolol was hardly removed in the water treatment process. Laboratory experiments showed that compounds with logKow>2.5 (especially bisphenol-A, 2,4-D, carbamazepine, triclocarban and 4-nonylphenol) were effectively removed by coagulation process, and adsorption effect increased in proportion with hydrophobicity of micropollutants and the turbidity of water. Sunlight photodegradation also effectively removed sulfamethoxazole, sulfamethazine, caffeine, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen, which are photosensitizes. Chlorination was relatively not effective for the removal of micropollutants due to the lower chlorine dosage (2 mg L(-1)), lower contact time (1h), and already lower levels of micropollutants at the chlorination stage at WTP. Our results imply that micropollutants during coagulation stage at WTP can be removed not only by coagulation itself, but also by adsorption to clay particle especially for high turbidity water, and by sunlight photodegradation in the areas open to the atmosphere.

Small neutral molecular carriers for selective carboxylate transport

A series of neutral thiourea receptors were found to mediate the antiport of chloride with a range of biologically relevant carboxylate anions across phospholipid bilayers. Simple structural modification of the carriers resulted in a change in the lactate/pyruvate transport selectivity.

Chromatographic Hydrophobicity Index by Fast-Gradient RP-HPLC: A High-Throughput Alternative to log P/log D

A new chromatographic hydrophobicity index (CHI) is described which can be used as part of a protocol for high-throughput (50-100 compounds/day) physicochemical property profiling for rational drug design. The index is derived from retention times (t(R)) observed in a fast gradient reversed-phase HPLC method. The isocratic retention factors (log k') were measured for a series of 76 structurally unrelated compounds by using various concentrations of acetonitrile in the mobile phase. By plotting the log k' as a function of the acetonitrile concentration, the slope (S) and the intercept (log k'(w)) values were calculated. The previously validated index of hydrophobicity φ(0) was calculated as -log k'(w)/S. A good linear correlation was obtained between the gradient retention time values, t(R) and the isocratically determined φ(0) values for the 76 compounds. The constants of this linear correlation can be used to calculate CHI. For most compounds, CHI is between 0 and 100 and in this range it approximates to the percentage (by volume) of acetonitrile required to achieve an equal distribution of compound between the mobile and the stationary phases. CHI values can be measured using acidic, neutral, or slightly basic eluents. Values corresponding to the neutral form of molecules could be measured for 52 of the compounds and showed good correlation (r = 0.851) to the calculated octanol/water partition coefficient (c log P) values.

Chemometric analysis of retention data from salting-out thin-layer chromatography in relation to structural parameters and biological activity of chosen sulphonamides

Salting-out thin-layer chromatography of several chosen sulphonamides on silica gel has been examined with aqueous solutions of salts: sulphates, chlorides, nitrates, phosphates, acetates, thiocyanates. It was established that applied salts have different effects on retention of sulphonamides accordingly to Hofmeister's clasification (e.g. kosmotropes, chaotropes and neutral). The parameters of the linear regression analysis of dependences between the R(M) values and concentration of the salt in the eluent system were correlated with QSAR ones. It appeared that chromatographic parameters obtained by SOTLC method reflect not only physico-chemical properties of examined compounds but also they include information about their activity. 3D graph revealing pharmacological properties of analytes was constructed. Universal character of this method for predicting and classification of drug containing sulphonamide group was confirmed by localisation of additional compounds structurally similar but acting antagonistically towards sulphonamides.

Development of homochiral peptides in the chemical evolutionary process: Separation of homochiral and heterochiral oligopeptides

Living organisms have one-handed structures of L-amino acids in proteins and D-sugars in nucleic acids. Although the origins of each one-handed structure (or homochirality) have been discussed for many years, these discussions have been restricted to monomeric compounds, such as amino acids and monosaccharides, or their stereospecific condensation reactions. Oligomers of these compounds have to be considered in the accumulation processes of homochirality because of the differences in physical properties of the diastereomers. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the calculation of the partition coefficient values showed that the peptides having heterochiral sequences like L-Ala-D-Ala or D-Ala-L-Ala were more hydrophobic than the peptides having homochiral ones (L-Ala-L-Ala and D-Ala-D-Ala). Similar results were given from the calculation of most linear dipeptides and all cyclic ones composed of Gly, Ala, Val, or Asp. In addition, longer homo-oligopeptides composed of Ala, Val, or Asp also gave similar results. This general tendency would be useful for the separation of diastereomeric oligopeptides in water. The results also suggest that the separation of the homochiral peptides from the heterochiral ones by their solubility in water could have progressed in a primitive hydrosphere.

High-throughput liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method for the determination of the chromatographic hydrophobicity index

A fast gradient reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) method, using an acetonitrile gradient was developed to determine the chromatographic hydrophobicity index (CHI), as reported by Valco et al. (Anal. Chem. 1997, 69, 2022-2029). The analytical method provides retention times, based on UV detection at two different wavelengths, which then are converted into CHI values after calibration with a set of test compounds. The CHI of each compound is measured at three different pH values, 2.0, 7.4, and 10.5; so using an 8-min gradient at each pH value one compound can be analyzed in approximately 24 min. The aim of this work is to improve the throughput of the CHI screening using a LC/MS approach, so the application of the LC/MS technique is an extension of the LC/UV approach previously reported by Valco et al. This approach allows contemporary injection of N compounds into the LC/MS system, the retention time of each compound can be then extracted from the selected ion recording chromatograms. The throughput of the existing screening method could be increased by N times, where N is the number of compounds injected, so only three runs are needed to determine the CHI at three different pH values for a set of N compounds. The highest value of N depends on the total number of channels that can be monitored simultaneously; in the present work, 32 channels were used. This LC/MS method has been tested for a number of commercial products analyzed as mixtures, and data obtained were compared with those coming from the classical LC/UV approach. In the same way, the method was tested for a number of compounds associated with two GlaxoWellcome projects in the antibacterial area. Data reported show that the LC/MS method can be successfully applied for analyzing compounds in mixtures and for compounds with poor UW absorption, which cannot be analyzed with the standard LC/UV method.

Retention of barbituric acid derivatives on immobilized artificial membrane stationary phase and its correlation with biological activity

A series of 30 barbituric acid derivatives were subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on the 'immobilized artificial membrane' (IAM) column with acetonitrile buffer mobile phase. The retention parameter log k(IAM) was related to the logarithms of partition coefficients determined in octanol-water partition system, log P, to a thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) parameter from partition TLC, R(m0), to an adsorption HPLC retention parameter, log k(0), and to a solubility parameter, delta. It was demonstrated that log k(IAM) correlated significantly to the other parameters of barbiturates determined in partition systems but not to delta. However, log k(IAM) appeared to be a distinctive descriptor of hydrophobicity of barbiturates as compared to the standard log P parameters. The parameter log k(IAM) was shown to correlate with bioactivity data of the agents studied.

Ipomeanol analogs as chemopreventive agents: effect on the in vitro metabolism of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)

4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a tobacco-specific, powerful, organospecific lung carcinogen. 4-Ipomeanol (IPO) is an investigational chemotherapeutic drug with specific toxicity towards the lung. We hypothesized that non-toxic analogs of IPO could be competitive inhibitors of the metabolic activation of NNK. We had shown previously that 4-hydroxy-1-phenyl-1-pentanone (HPP) and 7-hydroxy-1-phenyl-1-octanone (4-HPO) are effectively inhibiting the lung tumor activity of NNK in A/J mice. In these extended studies we have synthesized 11 new analogs of HPP and tested them for their in vitro activities as inhibitors of the metabolism of NNK. The present study demonstrated that the lipophilicity in the molecule is playing an important role for the inhibition of NNK metabolism with pulmonary and hepatic microsomes of A/J mice.

Protein binding of xanthine derivatives to guinea pig serum albumin

Binding of the bronchodilators N3-alkylxanthine and N3-alkyl-N1-methylxanthine derivatives to guinea pig serum albumin was investigated in vitro using the ultrafiltration method. A marked difference in the binding parameters of xanthine derivatives was observed, and binding was shown to be concentration dependent. Significant relations were observed among their binding parameter, dissociation constant (Kd), and hydrophobicity (log PC). The extent of binding of xanthine derivatives was increased both when a N3-methyl group was replaced by a longer alkyl chain and when a N3-alkylxanthine molecule was additionally replaced by a methyl group. Reversed-phase HPLC retention, as an index of hydrophobicity of xanthine derivatives, was also determined. Significant relationships were found between the adjusted retention time data for each xanthine derivative and their hydrophobicity or biological activities, such as their abilities to cause muscle relaxation and cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibition. These findings indicate that the difference in the extent of binding among xanthine derivatives is related to hydrophobicity, which is an important determinant of their biological activities.

Partition coefficients and capacity factors of some nucleoside analogues

The AIDS epidemic has brought into focus the development of antiviral agents, of which nucleoside analogues are an important class. The single most important physico-chemical property of a chemotherapeutic agent is its hydrophobicity. This paper reports the hydrophobicity, determined as log partition coefficient (P) by the shake-flask method, of 25 nucleoside analogues. The capacity factors (k') of these analogues were also obtained by reversed-phase liquid chromatography. There is a very strong linear correlation between the log P and the log k' values of all the nucleoside analogues, indicating that hydrophobicity of nucleosides can be determined by liquid chromatography. Examination of the P data indicates that an empirical mathematical relationship exists between the partition coefficient value and the molecular structure of the nucleoside analogues. A table of constants and an equation is proposed to estimate the P of nucleoside analogues.

Sulfation of mono- and diaryl oximes by aryl sulfotransferase isozymes

Aryl sulfotransferases (3'-phosphoadenylsulfate:phenol sulfotransferase, EC 2.8.2.1) catalyze the sulfonation of a wide variety of hydroxyl-containing substrates, including numerous xenobiotics. The chemical diversity of aryl sulfotransferase substrates is in part attributable to the presence of multiple isozymes, each of which has broad substrate specificity. Of the aryl sulfotransferase isozymes in rat liver cytosol, two (designated isozymes I and II) have previously been shown to sulfonate phenolic compounds exclusively and, moreover, have very similar substrate specificity patterns. The recently reported unusually efficient, rapid isozyme I-catalyzed sulfonation of 9-fluorenone oxime (Mangold, J.B., Mangold, B.L.K. and Spina, A. (1986) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 874, 37-43) was therefore unexpected and suggested that aryl oximes may represent a useful class of model compounds to probe isozymic differences in substrate steric and electronic requirements. In the present study, several mono- and diaryl oximes have been prepared and tested as potential substrates for partially purified aryl sulfotransferases I and II from rat liver cytosol. The results indicate that steric factors, specifically planarity and hydroxyl group position, appear to be important requirements for enzyme-catalyzed sulfonation. In addition, although isozymes I and II had comparable activity with diaryl oximes, some striking differences in the ability of these two isozymes to sulfonate both substituted and unsubstituted monoaryl oximes were observed. This dissimilarity is consistent with distinct differences in the active sites of these isozymes.

Influence of derivation on the lipophilicity and inhibitory actions of cardiac glycosides on myocardial Na+-K+-ATPase

Lipophilicity and inhibitory actions on guinea-pig heart Na+-K+-ATPase of twenty-six digitalis and six strophanthus glycosides comprising the aglycones, mono-, bis-, tris-sugar, alkylated (acylated) tris-sugar, acyl steroid derivatives and three cardanolides were investigated. Their octanol/water partition coefficients (P), reversed phase thin layer (r.t.l.c.) and reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (r.h.p.l.c.) were determined and the viability of these methods as a measure of the lipophilicity of the cardiotonic steroids evaluated. The influence of lipophilicity and so also structural changes on the inhibitory effects of the cardiac glycosides on myocardial Na+-K+-ATPase was then examined. It is concluded that (a) r.t.l.c. and r.h.p.l.c. are just as effective as the conventional shake-flask method for estimation of the lipophilicity of cardiac glycosides and (b) the inhibitory potencies of cardiotonic steroids on the myocardial Na+-K+-ATPase increase with growing lipophilicity. The relationship between these two parameters is, however, governed by the influence of substitution or derivation of structural components on their inhibitory potencies on the myocardial Na+-K+-ATPase.

Correlation between n-octanol/water partition coefficient and liquid chromatographic retention for caffeine and its metabolites, and some structure-pharmacokinetic considerations

A method to establish the correlation between the reverse phase high performance liquid chromatographic retention of caffeine and its metabolites and their n-octanol/water partition coefficients is described. The log (P) values were always below zero, ranging from -0.02 to -2.03. The capacity factor quadratically back-extrapolated to 100% water eluent (k'w) was used as the index of lipophilicity. The compounds examined gave a good correlation (r greater than 0.99) with log (k'w) if considered in separate series, depending on the substituent position. For a structure-pharmacokinetic relationship study, correlations were found between the partition coefficient and some pharmacokinetic parameters, suggesting that for drugs that are widely metabolized, any predictions of their disposition from physicochemical characteristics are hazardous.

Determination of hydrophobic parameters by reversed-phase liquid chromatography: theory, experimental techniques, and application in studies on quantitative structure-activity relationships

The use of RPLC retention parameters as descriptors of the hydrophobic nature of bioactive compounds has been evaluated. The relationship between the capacity factor, measured on n-alkyl-bonded stationary phases using binary eluents, and the n-octanol-water partition coefficient has been illustrated experimentally and theoretically. It is suggested that retention parameters, in particular the capacity factor (log kw) obtained by extrapolation of retention data from binary eluents to 100% water, could successfully replace the n-octanol-water partition coefficient in studies on quantitative structure-activity relationship, and that their use may result in a better correlation with biological data.

Liquid chromatographic assays for barbiturate injections

Precise, rugged, stability-indicating HPLC assays were developed for phenobarbital, pentobarbital, and secobarbital sodium injections. Degradation products of the three barbiturates were prepared and chromatographed to demonstrate method specificity. The degradation products were also used to demonstrate specificity of official GC methods for pentobarbital and secobarbital sodium capsules. The acetylurea degradation products of pentobarbital and secobarbital were characterized following the separation of their diastereoisomers by HPLC.

Cerebrospinal fluid uptake and peripheral distribution of centrally acting drugs: relation to lipid solubility

In an anaesthetized dog model, serum kinetics and CSF entry were determined after i.v. administration of the following 8 drugs: salicylic acid (as acetylsalicylic acid), antipyrine, acetaminophen (paracetamol), lidocaine (lignocaine), trimipramine, amitriptyline, haloperidol, and imipramine. Kinetic variables were evaluated in relation to in-vitro lipophilicity, measured by the reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) retention index. After correction for individual values of serum binding (determined as the CSF: serum ratio at equilibrium), in-vivo volume of distribution was highly correlated with HPLC retention (r = 0.92). Conversely, the time of peak CSF concentration and the CSF entry half-life were negatively correlated with HPLC retention (r = -0.83 and -0.63, respectively). Thus lipophilicity is a physiochemical property which has an influence on the peripheral distribution of drugs as well as their rate of entry into CSF.

Accurate, wide-range, automated, high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the estimation of octanol/water partition coefficients I: Effect of chromatographic conditions and procedure variables on accuracy and reproducibility of the method

A high-performance liquid-chromatographic (HPLC) procedure is reported for estimation of the logarithm of the octanol/water partition coefficient, log P(o/w). This automated log P(o/w) measurement (ALPM) circumvents many inherent difficulties with the shake-flask method, yet gives high reproducibility and excellent overall correlation with shake-flask results. Partition coefficients for numerous structurally diverse chemicals, ranging from approximately 0 to approximately 8 log P(o/w) units, can be determined; however, values for zwitterionic compounds cannot be obtained. Additional advantages of ALPM include lower cost and greater safety when compared with other HPLC or shake-flask procedures. Chromatographic conditions (i.e., flow rate and temperature) and variables (i.e., column length and solvent composition) affecting this method are discussed in detail. ALPM may also find application in quality control of HPLC columns, qualitative-quantitative analysis, and in computer-controlled method development and analysis.

Liquid chromatographic determination of lipophilicity with application to a homologous series of barbiturates

A graphical method for determining the lipophilicity of the members of a homologous series of barbituric acids, from a consideration of their reverse-phase HPLC retention data, is described. The HPLC parameter used as the index of lipophilicity, RQ, is shown not only to form excellent correlations with the more commonly employed indices of lipophilicity, Rm and log P, but also to have a predictive capability for those log P values that had not previously been determined experimentally.