Drug–tea polyphenol interaction

Propericiazine (PCZ) is an antipsychotic agent used for the treatment and the prevention of relapse of schizophrenia. We found that when an oral solution containing PCZ was mixed with a green tea drink, the residual content of PCZ was reduced by forming an insoluble complex between PCZ and tea polyphenol. In this study, the mechanism underlying the incompatibility of PCZ with green tea polyphenol (GTP) in the solution was clarified by isothermal titration microcalorimetry (ITC). Both solutions of 27.4 mM PCZ and 2.2 mM (?)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), which is a main ingredient of GTP, were mixed and then PCZ in the filtrate was reduced to approximately 60 %. According to measurement at 298 K by ITC, PCZ formed an insoluble complex with EGCg at an associate constant (K) of 4.75 × 10² M^?1 exothermically, ΔH = ?40.0 kJ mol^?1. When (?)-epicatechin gallate (ECg) was used as the GTP, PCZ interacted with ECg with K and ΔH values of 3.74 × 10² M^?1 and ?22.1 kJ mol^?1, respectively. On the other hand, little heat of the reaction between PCZ and (?)-epigallocatechin or (?)-epicatechin was observed. The results indicated that the main reason for this incompatibility was the formation of an insoluble complex by PCZ and a gallate-type GTP such as EGCg and ECg in the aqueous solution.     

A New Convenient Synthesis of α-Arylpropionic Acid Esters and α-Arylpropionitriles

Various types of α-arylpropionic acid esters were effectively obtained by the coupling reaction of aryl Grignard reagents and α-bromopropionic acid esters in the presence of nickel catalysts. α-Arylpropionitriles, precursors of α-arylpropionic acids, were also synthesized by the reaction of α-methanesulfonyloxypropionitrile and arylcopper reagents prepared from equimolar amount of arylmagnesium halides and copper(I) bromide.     

Two-neutron transfer reactions on nuclei in the transitional region

The possibility of coexistence of spherical and deformed states in samarium isotopes is explored by analyzing the experimental data of the two-neutron transfer reactions, and the moment of mixing of the coexisting states and their deformation parameters are determined.     

Cinemicrophotographic study of boiling of water-in-oil emulsions

Cinemicrophotography is applied to the boiling of emulsions of water dispersed in oils whose boiling points are higher than that of water. The layer of emulsion is made thin enough to make possible a microscopic observation by transmitted light through the layer. Two alternative processes of bubble formation are found: a periodical bubble formation at specified sites on the heated solid surface contacting the emulsion and a casual bubble formation some distance away from the surface. The basic mechanisms of those processes are discussed.     

Preparation and properties of anionic transition metal complexes containing triheterocarbenium ions

Summary Thermally stable anionic tetracarbonylcobalt complexes containing triheterocarbenium ions, [Co(CO)₄]^–[cation]⁺, have been synthesized by the ion exchange reaction of [Co(CO)₄]^–PPN⁺ with the corresponding carbenium ions. Similar molybdenum complexes containing cyclopentadienyl and carbonyl ligands were also prepared. The complexes were characterized by elemental analyses and by i.r. and n.m.r. spectroscopies. The ionic structures of the complexes are confirmed on the basis of their large electric conductivities.     

Observation of "partial coherence" in an Aharonov-Bohm interferometer with a quantum dot

We report experiments on the interference through spin states of electrons in a quantum dot (QD) embedded in an Aharonov-Bohm (AB) interferometer. We have picked up a spin-pair state, for which the environmental conditions are ideally similar. The AB amplitude is traced in a range of gate voltage that covers the pair. The behavior of the asymmetry in the amplitude around the two Coulomb peaks agrees with the theoretical prediction that the spin-flip process in a QD is related to the quantum dephasing of electrons. These results constitute evidence of "partial coherence" due to an entanglement of spins in the QD and in the interferometer.     

Formation and Characterization of Reversed Micelles Composed of Phospholipids and Fatty Acids

The formation of reversed micellar systems composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and fatty acid was newly demonstrated by a significant increase in water content in the organic ethyl oleate phase when the micelles were prepared by the contact method. The solubilized water concentration in the reversed micellar organic phase reached 3 wt%. The new systems are expected to be used as highly biocompatible reversed micellar systems. The structure of the reversed micelles composed of PC and oleic acid was characterized by determining the water concentration and by small-angle X-ray scattering analysis. The reversed micelles composed of PC and oleic acid formed in ethyl oleate were spherical. The radius of gyration was between 30 and 50 Å. The size of the reversed micelles decreased with an increase in the oleic acid concentration and was independent of the PC concentration. Experimental results indicated that the structure of the reversed micellar system was determined by the oleic acid concentration. An increase in the PC concentration caused an increase in the number of reversed micelles of the same size. These reversed micellar systems are expected to be used as solubilization media in pharmaceutical and food industries because they are not toxic.     

High-Quality Protein Crystal Growth of Mouse Lipocalin-Type Prostaglandin D Synthase in Microgravity

Lipocalin-type prostaglandin (PG) D synthase (L-PGDS) catalyzes the isomerization of PGH(2) to PGD(2) and is involved in the regulation of pain and of nonrapid eye movement sleep and the differentiation of male genital organs and adipocytes, etc. L-PGDS is secreted into various body fluids and binds various lipophilic compounds with high affinities, acting also as an extracellular transporter. Mouse L-PGDS with a C65A mutation was previously crystallized with citrate or malonate as a precipitant, and the X-ray crystallographic structure was determined at 2.0 ? resolution. To obtain high-quality crystals, we tried, unsuccessfully, to crystallize the C65A mutant in microgravity under the same conditions used in the previous study. After further purifying the protein and changing the precipitant to polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000, high-quality crystals were grown in microgravity. The precipitant solution was 40% (w/v) PEG 8000, 100 mM sodium chloride, and 100 mM HEPES-NaOH (pH 7.0). Crystals grew on board the International Space Station for 11 weeks in 2007, yielding single crystals of the wild-type L-PGDS and the C65A mutant, both of which diffracted at around 1.0 ? resolution. The crystal quality was markedly improved through the use of a high-viscosity precipitant solution in microgravity, in combination with the use of a highly purified protein.     

Catalytic asymmetric alkylation of α-cyanocarboxylates and acetoacetates using a phase-transfer catalyst

The catalytic asymmetric alkylation of α-cyanocarboxylates and acetoacetates with an alkyl halide was performed under phase-transfer conditions to afford compounds which have a chiral quaternary carbon with up to 97% and 94% ee, respectively. As applications of this method, chiral 2-oxindole derivatives and a β-lactam derivative were synthesized.