Study on interactions of endocrine disruptors with estrogen receptor-beta using fluorescence polarization.

In this study, we developed a rapid, simple and homogeneous human recombinant estrogen receptor-beta (hrER-beta) binding assay method using fluorescence polarization (FP) by applying a fluorescent ligand, fluorescein-labeled estradiol (F-E2). A Scatchard plot and a Hill plot analysis of the saturation binding assay using F-E2 and hrER-beta were studied. F-E2 showed a high affinity for hrER-beta, the dissociation constant was 5.53 nM, indicating that F-E2 is applicable to the hrER-beta binding assay. Competitive binding assays using F-E2, in which the FP values decreased upon the addition of compounds (competitors) were carried out to evaluate the binding characteristics of compounds with and without biological activities to hrER-beta. Twenty-one compounds, such as hormones, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals and phytoestrogens, were examined. The obtained sigmoidal inhibition curves were transformed into pseudo-Hill plots and the concentrations at 50% inhibition (IC50) and Hill coefficients, the degree of cooperativity in ER-ligand binding, were obtained from the regression equations. Antagonists exhibited larger Hill coefficients than agonists, showing the correlation between the Hill coefficients and the estrogenic/antiestrogenic activities.     

A facile one-pot benzylation of sodium enolates using trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride and diphenyl sulfoxide

A facile one-pot C-benzylation of various sodium enolates derived from methyl malonate, beta-ketoesters, a beta-cyanoester, a beta-cyanosulfone, ketones and a carboxylic ester is reported. Reaction of alkoxydiphenylsulfonium salts formed by treating various benzyl alcohols with diphenyl sulfide bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate) (derived from trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride and diphenyl sulfoxide) proceeded smoothly, and the corresponding C-benzylated products were afforded in good to high yields.     

Isolation and structure of monomethylated GM3-type ganglioside molecular species from the starfish Luidia maculata

Two monomethylated GM(3)-Type ganglioside molecular species, 1 and 2, have been obtained from the polar lipid fraction of the chloroform/methanol extract of the starfish Luidia maculata. The structures of these gangliosides have been determined on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence as 1-O-[8-O-methyl-(N-acetyl-alpha-D-neuraminosyl)-(2-->3)-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-ceramide (1) and 1-O-[8-O-methyl-(N-glycolyl-alpha-D-neuraminosyl)-(2-->3)-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-ceramide (2). The ceramide moieties were composed of heterogeneous unsubstituted fatty acid, 2-hydroxy fatty acid, sphingosine and phytosphingosine units. Compound 1, designated as LMG-3, represents new ganglioside molecular species. Compound 2 was a known ganglioside molecular species.     

Synthesis, swelling behavior and surface microstructure of poly(sodium acrylate) gels cross-linked by aluminum ions

We report the synthesis and some unique properties of polymer gels cross-linked by metal ions. They are made of poly(sodium acrylate) and aluminum ions. Cylindrical and thin plate gels were synthesized in glass molds by mixing poly(sodium acrylate) with aluminum hydroxide of various concentrations. The swelling ratio of the gels was measured by changing the solvent pH and adding NaCl with different concentrations. Each gel was found to swell at the first stage and shrink thereafter by repeated solvent exchanges; the swelling ratio ultimately returned to the initial one just after gelation. These features could be explained using a qualitative model based on the ion exchange and the formation of hydrogen bonding. A characteristic surface microstructure was observed on the dehydrated gels using an atomic force microscope. The microstructures were analyzed in terms of the autocorrelation function and the root-mean-square roughness. The surface microstructure of this system was characterized by the microdomains, the shape of which was found to depend strongly on the amount of aluminum ions and the gel thickness at gelation. It could be controlled not only by the concentration of the cross-linker but also by the dehydration condition.     

Quantum transport effects in copper(II) phthalocyanine sandwiched between gold nanoelectrodes

The electrical transmission of copper(II) phthalocyanine (CuPc) sandwiched between gold nanoelectrodes is studied on the basis of the Green function formalism coupled with the Gaussian-broadening technique. In the Au-CuPc-Au junction, broadened density of states (DOS) of the Au chains is defined as continuous DOS of electrodes to calculate the Green function of the electrodes. Two peaks of the transmission function found in the vicinity of the Fermi level are analyzed in terms of molecular orbitals (MOs). A convenient procedure to analyze MO contribution to a transmission peak is proposed. It is found that (I) symmetry-matched interactions between CuPc and the gold nanoelectrodes are important to the enhancement of the transmission function and (II) the nanoelectrodes have almost no effect on the electronic states of CuPc.     

Synthesis and cytochrome P-450-like reactivity of polypeptide-bound porphinatoiron(III)

Polypeptide-bound porphinatoiron(III) was synthesized. This polymer could catalyze the hydroxylation of aniline with H₂O₂ more effectively, and catalyze the monooxygenase-type oxidation of olefins more selectively in the porphinatoiron (III)-O₂-NaBH₄-Me₄NOH system²⁾ than non-bound porphinatoiron.     

Swelling behavior of poly(sodium acrylate) gels crosslinked by aluminum ions

The cylindrical poly(sodium acrylate) gel (SA gel) was synthesized in the glass capillary using aluminum ions as the crosslinker. The swelling ratio of the gel was measured after the repeated exchange of solvent (distilled deionized water, about pH 5.8). The gel exhibited two relaxation processes; at first the gel swells rapidly as exchange of water (the swelling process), then shrinks very slowly (the shrinking process). In order to reveal the microscopic structural change (especially, the formation of hydrogen bonding) by water exchange, attenuated total refraction (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was applied to the gels with different swelling ratio. The IR absorption peaks of the gel were assigned based on those of poly(sodium acrylate) aqueous solutions at different pH. On the swelling process, the carboxyl groups were gradually protonated, and the intermolecular hydrogen bonding started to form in the gel with maximum swelling ratio. On the shrinking process, the formation of hydrogen bonding gradually increased with long-time repeated water exchange which resulted in the shrinkage of the gel. Effects of the repeated water exchange on the swelling behavior were discussed in terms of the exchange of counter ions and the formation of hydrogen bonding.     

Study on interactions of endocrine disruptors with estrogen receptor using fluorescence polarization

In this study, we examined the affinities of many (21) compounds such as hormones, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, and phytoestrogens to the estrogen receptor (ER) by ER binding assay using fluorescence polarization (FP). This method is based on the competitive binding assay using fluorescein-labeled estradiol (F-E2), in which the polarization values decreased with the addition of the compounds (competitors). The obtained sigmoidal inhibition curves were transformed into the pseudo-Hill plots, and the concentrations at 50% inhibition (IC50) and Hill coefficients were obtained from the regression equations. We examined the relationship between the chemical structures and estrogenic activities, and finally classified the tested compounds into three categories, agonists, partial agonists and antagonists based on their Hill coefficients.     

Development of 7-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-5-N-(4-N-aminoethyl)piperazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole as a water-soluble fluorogenic reagent for the sensitive liquid chromatographic determination of saturated carboxylic acids

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the femtomole determination of nine saturated carboxylic acids, n-butyric (C4), n-hexanoic (C6), n-caprylic (C8), n-decanoic (C10), lauric (C12), n-tetradecanoic (C14), palmitic (C16), stearic (C18) and arachidic (C20), based on the condensation reaction of these acids with a newly synthesized water-soluble benzofurazan fluorescent reagent, 7-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-4-N-(4-N-aminoethyl)piperazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-PZ-NH2), was developed. The derivatization reaction proceeds with 1-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-3-ethylcarbodiimide (EDC) in the presence of the catalyst 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP). A model derivative of the reagent with n-caprylic acid (C8) was synthesized for fluorescence excitation/emission characterization. Depending on the solvents, including water, methanol, acetonitrile, 1,4-dioxane or N.N-dimethyformamide (DMF), the C8 derivative has a fluorescence emission with a fluorescence quantum yield (phi) ranging from 0.01 to 0.20 in the region from 545 to 580 nm. An exponential increase in phi was observed with increasing acetonitrile content. The calculated detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio = 3:1) of the proposed method for the above nine carboxylic acids were 9.1, 4.0, 2.5, 2.2, 2.0, 1.8, 1.2, 1.0 and 1.3 fmol, respectively. Biological samples including Intralipos 20% and rat plasma were analysed satisfactorily.     

New Triterpene Saponins from Acanthophyllum pachystegium

Four new triterpenoid saponins, pachystegiosides A ( 1 ), B ( 2 ), C ( 3 ), and D ( 4 ), were isolated from the roots of Acanthophyllum pachystegium K. H. Their structures were elucidated by means of a combination of homo‐ and heteronuclear 2D‐NMR techniques (COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, HSQC, and HMBC) and by FAB‐MS. The new compounds were characterized as 3‐O‐{O‐β‐D ‐galactopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐O‐[β‐D ‐xylopyranosyl‐(1→3)]‐β‐D ‐glucuronopyranosyl}quillaic acid 28‐{O‐β‐D ‐xylopyranosyl‐(1→3)‐O‐β‐D ‐xylopyranosyl‐(1→4)‐O‐α‐L ‐rhamnopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐O‐[3,4‐di‐O‐acetyl‐β‐D ‐quinovopyranosyl‐(1→4)]‐β‐D ‐fucopyranosyl}ester ( 1 ), 3‐O‐{O‐β‐D ‐galactopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐O‐[β‐D ‐xylopyranosyl‐(1→3)]‐β‐D ‐glucuronopyranosyl}quillaic acid 28‐{O‐β‐D ‐xylopyranosyl‐(1→3)‐O‐β‐D ‐xylopyranosyl‐(1→4)‐O‐α‐L ‐rhamnopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐O‐[4‐O‐acetyl‐β‐D ‐quinovopyranosyl‐(1→4)]‐β‐D ‐fucopyranosyl} ester ( 2 ), 3‐O‐{O‐β‐D ‐galactopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐O‐[β‐D ‐xylopyranosyl‐(1→3)]‐β‐D ‐glucuronopyranosyl}quillaic acid 28‐{O‐β‐D ‐xylopyranosyl‐(1→4)‐O‐α‐L ‐rhamnopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐O‐[4‐O‐acetyl‐β‐D ‐quinovopyranosyl‐(1→4)]‐β‐D ‐fucopyranosyl} ester ( 3 ), and gypsogenic acid 28‐[O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→6)‐O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→3)‐β‐D ‐galactopyranosyl] ester ( 4 ).