A photoresponsive palladium complex of an azopyridyl-triazole ligand: light-controlled solubility drives catalytic activity in the Suzuki coupling reaction

Herein, the design and synthesis of a click-derived Pd-complex merged with a photoswitchable azobenzene unit is presented. While in the trans-form of the switch the complex showed limited solubility, the photogenerated cis-form rendered the molecule soluble in polar solvents. This light-controllable solubility was exploited to affect the catalytic activity in the Suzuki coupling reaction. The effect of the substrate and catalyst concentration and light intensity on the proceeding and outcome of the reaction was studied. Dehalogenation of the aryl iodide starting material was found to be a major side reaction; however, its occurrence was dependent on the applied light intensity.

Copper signalling: causes and consequences

Copper-containing enzymes perform fundamental functions by activating dioxygen (O2) and therefore allowing chemical energy-transfer for aerobic metabolism. The copper-dependence of O2 transport, metabolism and production of signalling molecules are supported by molecular systems that regulate and preserve tightly-bound static and weakly-bound dynamic cellular copper pools. Disruption of the reducing intracellular environment, characterized by glutathione shortage and ambient Cu(II) abundance drives oxidative stress and interferes with the bidirectional, copper-dependent communication between neurons and astrocytes, eventually leading to various brain disease forms. A deeper understanding of of the regulatory effects of copper on neuro-glia coupling via polyamine metabolism may reveal novel copper signalling functions and new directions for therapeutic intervention in brain disorders associated with aberrant copper metabolism.

Kinetics of the reversible inclusion of flavopereirine in cucurbit[7]uril

The temperature dependence of the formation and dissociation kinetics of the flavopereirine–cucurbit[7]uril complex is revealed.

A transgenic rat hepatocyte - Kupffer cell co-culture model for evaluation of direct and macrophage-related effect of poly(amidoamine) dendrimers

Increasing number of papers demonstrate that Kupffer cells (KCs) play a role in the development of drug induced liver injury (DILI). Furthermore, elevated intracellular Ca²⁺ level of hepatocytes is considered as a common marker of DILI. Here we applied an in vitro model based on hepatocyte mono- and hepatocyte/KC co-cultures (H/KC) isolated from transgenic rats stably expressing the GCaMP2 fluorescent Ca²⁺ sensor protein to investigate the effects of polycationic (G5), polyanionic (G4.5) and polyethylene-glycol coated neutral (G5 Peg) dendrimers known to accumulate in the liver, primarily in KCs. Following dendrimer exposure, hepatocyte homeostasis was measured by MTT cytotoxicity assay and by Ca²⁺ imaging, while hepatocyte functions were studied by CYP2B1/2 inducibility, and bilirubin and taurocholate transport. G5 was significantly more cytotoxic than G4.5 for hepatocytes and induced Ca²⁺ oscillation and sustained Ca²⁺ signals at 1μM and10 μM, respectively both in hepatocytes and KCs. Dendrimer-induced Ca²⁺ signals in hepatocytes were attenuated by macrophages. Activation of KCs by lipopolysaccharide and G5 decreased the inducibility of CYP2B1/2, which was restored by depleting the KCs with gadolinium-chloride and pentoxyphylline, suggesting a role of macrophages in the hindrance of CYP2B1/2 induction by G5 and lipopolysaccharide. In the H/KC, but not in the hepatocyte mono-culture, G5 reduced the canalicular efflux of bilirubin and stimulated the uptake and canalicular efflux of taurocholate. In conclusion, H/KC provides a good model for the prediction of hepatotoxic potential of drugs, especially of nanomaterials known to be trapped by macrophages, activation of which presumably contributes to DILI.

Synthesis and cytotoxic activity of novel 5-substituted-1-(β-L-arabinofuranosyl) pyrimidine nucleosides

A series of new 5-halogeno-1-(ß-L-arabinofuranosyl)uracils and their cytosine analogues were synthesized by halogenation of ara-L-uridine and ara-L-cytidine, respectively. The 5-(2-thienyl) and 5-halogenothienyl derivatives of both series were also prepared in excellent yields by Stille coupling followed by halogenation. All of these syntheses were based on benzoyl-protected derivatives. In vitro cytotoxicity experiments carried out using L1210 mouse leukemia cells showed that 5-(2-thienyl)-ara-L-uridine was the most potent compound of the new compounds; the majority of the analogues were not effective up to 200 μM concentrations.

Preparation of 2-amino-2-C-glycosyl-acetonitriles from C-glycosyl aldehydes by Strecker reaction

Synthesis of new 2-amino-2-C-D-glycosyl-acetonitriles in a Strecker reaction from various C-glycosyl aldehydes, chiral amines, and HCN was carried out. While aminonitriles from glycal and 2-deoxy-β-D-glycosyl aldehydes were prepared in satisfactory yields, lower yields were obtained with C-glycosyl aldehydes. Strecker reaction with the benzyl-protected 1-C-formyl-D-galactal and S- or R-1-phenylethylamine (S-PEA or R-PEA) yielded predominantly the R-configured C-glycosyl aminoacetonitrile. The direction of the nucleophilic addition appears to be governed by the configuration of the anomeric carbon with β-linked sugars. Since the stereochemistry of the transition state is unknown according to the configuration of the major product a Felkin-Ahn selectivity can be mainly presumed.

Preparation of 1-C-glycosyl aldehydes by reductive hydrolysis

Reductive hydrolysis of various protected glycosyl cyanides was carried out using DIBAL-H to form aldimine alane intermediates which were then hydrolyzed under mildly acidic condition to provide the corresponding aldehyde derivatives. While 1-C-formyl glycal and 2-deoxy glycosyl derivatives were stable during isolation and storage 1-C-glycosyl formaldehydes in the gluco, galacto and manno series were sensitive and decomposition occurred by 2-alkyloxy elimination. A one-pot method using N,N'-diphenylethylenediamine to trap these aldehydes in stable form was developed. Reductive hydrolysis of glycosyl cyanides offers valuable aldehyde building blocks in a convenient way which can be applied in the synthesis of complex C-glycosides.

Specific interactions of chloroacetanilide herbicides with human ABC transporter proteins

Chloroacetanilide herbicides are among the most commonly used herbicides in agriculture. Several studies have demonstrated a number of them to be carcinogenic. ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters are efflux pumps expressed in cell membranes, which form an important wall of defense against xenobiotics from different sources. We tested the interaction of the herbicides acetochlor, alachlor, dimetachlor, metazachlor, metolachlor, propachlor and prynachlor with human multidrug resistance transporters MDR1, MRP1, MRP2 and BCRP. A number of metabolites were studied for interaction with MRP1, MRP2 and MRP3. Transporter interactions were studied by measuring ATPase activity, inhibition of fluorescent dye efflux and vesicular transport. Also inhibition of MDR1 was monitored by measuring digoxin transport on Caco-2 monolayers and paclitaxel toxicity on K562-MDR cells. Acetochlor, alachlor, metolachlor and metazachlor showed specific interactions with MDR1. Digoxin permeability and paclitaxel cytotoxicity studies revealed that these herbicides are potent inhibitors of MDR1 that can modulate drug absorption and cause chemosensitization of cells. MRP1 was demonstrated to transport an important intermediate of the acetochlor detoxification pathway. Several specific interactions were shown when studying the interaction of chloroacetanilides with human transporter proteins. This study suggests an important role for transporter proteins in hazard prediction of agrochemicals and demonstrates how transporter interactions can be easily detected using in vitro screening methods.

Quantification of the ratio of positional isomer dilinoleoyl-oleoyl glycerols in vegetable oils

The distribution of fatty acids in a triacylglycerol is of great importance from nutritional, biochemical, quality and technological points of view. The ratio of triacylglycerol positional isomers containing two linoleic acid (18:2) and one oleic acid (18:1) moieties--namely, 1(3),2-dilinoleoyl-3(1)-oleoyl glycerol (LLO) and 1,3-dilinoleoyl-2-oleoyl glycerol (LOL)--were quantified in grape seed, olive, pumpkin seed, soybean, sunflower and wheat germ oils by high-performance liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/APCI-MS) in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Relative LOL contents (LOL/(LLO+LOL)) of the oils were calculated from the mass abundances of the [LL]+ and [LO]+ diacylglycerol fragment ions ([M+H-RCOOH]+) using a calibration curve. The calibration curve of the relative diacylglycerol mass abundances was measured in SIM mode. The relative LOL contents were found to be relatively consistent for each oil variety. The relative LOL content in grape seed, sunflower, pumpkin seed, soybean and wheat germ oils accounted for 44.2 +/- 2.6, 26.8 +/- 3.2, 16.7 +/- 4.6, 15.9 +/- 2.9 and 13.9 +/- 4.3%, respectively. Only olive oils contained practically 100% of the LLO isomer. These results indicate that the unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic and oleic acids have 'non-random' distribution patterns in various oils.