Anti-thyroid drugs and thyroid hormone synthesis: effect of methimazole derivatives on peroxidase-catalyzed reactions

Syntheses and characterization of the selenium analogue (MSeI) of anti-thyroid drug methimazole and a series of organoselenium compounds bearing N-methylimidazole pharmacophore are described. In contrast to the sulfur compound that exists predominantly in its thione form, the selenium analogue exists in a selenol form, which spontaneously oxidizes in air to produce the corresponding diselenide. The reduction of the diselenide by GSH or NaBH(4) affords the biologically active selenol, which effectively inhibits the lactoperoxidase (LPO) activity in vitro. The monoselenides having N-methylimidazole moiety are found to be much less active than the selenol, suggesting that the presence of a selenol moiety is important for the LPO inhibition. The kinetic and mechanistic studies reveal that MSeI inhibits the LPO activity by reducing the H(2)O(2), providing a novel method to reversibly inhibit the enzyme. Although MSeI strongly inhibits LPO, the enzyme's activity can be completely recovered by increasing the H(2)O(2) concentration. On the other hand, the inhibition by methimazole (MMI), the sulfur analogue, cannot be reversed by increasing the H(2)O(2) concentration, leading to a complete inactivation of the enzyme. The reversible inhibition of LPO by some of the selenium derivatives is correlated with their glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, and the high GPx activity of the selenium compounds as compared with their sulfur analogues suggests that the selenium derivatives may protect the thyroid gland from oxidative damage.     

Thyroid hormone synthesis and anti-thyroid drugs: A bioinorganic chemistry approach

Hydrogen peroxide, generated by thyroid oxidase enzymes, is a crucial substrate for the thyroid peroxidase (TPO)-catalysed biosynthesis of thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) in the thyroid gland. It is believed that the H₂O₂ generation is a limiting step in thyroid hormone synthesis. Therefore, the control of hydrogen peroxide concentration is one of the possible mechanisms for the inhibition of thyroid hormone biosynthesis. The inhibition of thyroid hormone synthesis is required for the treatment of hyperthyroidism and this can be achieved by one or more anti-thyroid drugs. The most widely used anti-thyroid drug methimazole (MMI) inhibits the production of thyroid hormones by irreversibly inactivating the enzyme TPO. Our studies show that the replacement of sulphur in MMI by selenium leads to a selone, which exists predominantly in its zwitterionic form. In contrast to the sulphur drug, the selenium analogue (MSeI) reversibly inhibits the peroxidase-catalysed oxidation and iodination reactions. Theoretical studies on MSeI reveal that the selenium atom in this compound carries a large negative charge. The carbon-selenium bond length in MSeI is found to be close to single-bond length. As the selenium atom exhibits a large nucleophilic character, the selenium analogue of MMI may scavenge the hydrogen peroxide present in the thyroid cells, which may lead to a reversible inhibition of thyroid hormone biosynthesis.     

Facile Formation of Ytterbium Diiodide and Its Use in the Synthesis of Allyl Selenides

Ytterbium metal reacts with iodine to generate ytterbium diiodide directly,which can react with diselenides to form ytterbium selenolates(RSeYbI2).These species reacted smoothly with allyl bromide to give allylselenides in moderato to good yields under neutral conditions.     

芳构化法合成2,5-二羟基对苯二甲酸反应机理的密度泛函理论研究

采用密度泛函理论（DFT）计算,研究了由1,4-环己二酮-2,5-二甲酸二甲酯（DMSS）制备2,5-二羟基对苯二甲酸（DHTA）的反应机理。其中,采用IEFPCM溶剂模型着重计算了DMSS由酮式互变异构为烯醇式的溶剂效应,并探究了碘在催化DMSS烯醇式氧化芳构化过程中的作用机制。计算结果表明,在溶剂分子的辅助下,DMSS酮-烯醇式互变异构反应的能垒显著降低;芳构化过程中,碘首先与过氧化氢反应生成活性物质次碘酸,其催化DMSS烯醇式发生碘代反应,并经过后续的消去和互变异构生成2,5-二羟基对苯二甲酸二甲酯（DMDHT）,DMDHT进一步水解生成DHTA。同时,通过核磁共振氢谱测试验证了DMSS酮-烯醇式互变异构的溶剂效应;反应性能考评实验结果表明,相较于无催化剂,在碘的催化作用下,DMDHT产品的纯度和收率更高。     

PhI Catalyzed Acetoxyselenylation and Formyloxyselenylation of Alkenes

With PhI as catalyst and m CPBA as oxidant, a novel and efficient catalytic procedure has been developed for the acetoxyselenylation and formyloxyselenylation of alkenes. In this protocol, PhI is first oxidized into hypervalent iodine intermediate, which promotes the cleavage of Se–Se bond in diselenides. The in situ generated electrophilic selenium species then reacts with alkenes, affording 2‐acetoxy‐1‐selenides and 2‐formyloxy‐1‐selenides in high regioselectivity and good yields.     

Iodoarene-catalyzed one-pot preparation of 2,4,5-trisubstituted oxazoles from alkyl aryl ketones with mCPBA in nitriles

2,4,5-Trisubstituted oxazoles could be easily prepared in moderate yields by the reaction of alkyl aryl ketones, iodoarene, m-chloroperbenzoic acid, and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid in acetonitrile, propionitrile, butyronitrile, and isobutyronitrile, respectively. Here, reactive aryliodonium I(III) species is formed in situ by the reaction of iodoarene with mCPBA and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, and the formed aryliodonium I(III) species reacts with alkyl aryl ketone to form β-keto aryliodonium species. This in turn, reacts with nitrile to form the corresponding oxazole. Iodoarene works as a catalyst. However, one equivalent of iodoarene is required because one equivalent of reactive aryliodonium I(III) species must be formed prior to the reaction with alkyl aryl ketone. Then, by introducing an ionic liquid group into iodoarene, to form ionic liquid-supported iodoarene, the isolation procedure of oxazole could be simplified. The addition of ethyl acetate to the reaction mixture, washing of the reaction mixture with aq NaHCO₃, removal of ethyl acetate, and extraction of the residue with ether provided oxazoles in moderate purity, and the residual ionic liquid-supported iodoarene could be reused in the same reaction.     

Synthesis of Sodium Diselenides and its Reaction with Benzoyl Chloride Under Phase Transfer Catalysis and Microwave Irradiation Conditions

A simple, fast and efficient procedure for the synthesis of dibenzoyl diselenides involves the reaction of selenium with sodium hydroxide under phase transfer catalysis and microwave irradiation conditions to give sodium diselenides, which reacts with benzoyl chloride at 0-3 °C and conventional conditions to afford the dibenzoyl diselenides. The effect of microwave irradiation power, reaction time, solvent and operational method on the reaction is investigated.     

Selenocyanation using a combined reagent of triphenylphosphine and selenocyanogen. A new and simple synthesis of alkyl selenocyanates and symmetrical alkyl diselenides from alcohols

A novel reagent Ph₃SeCN)₂, easily prepared by adding an equimolar amount of tri-phenylphosphine to selenocyanogen solution in methylene chloride and tetrahydrofuran reacts below ?60° with primary alcohols to produce directly the corresponding alkyl selenocyanates and alkyl diselenides in good yields. With secondary alcohols mixtures of selenocyanates and isoselenocyanates are obtained, while tertiary alcohols fail to react with the reagent.     

Effect of water on the functionalization of substituted anisoles with iodine in the presence of F-TEDA-BF4 or hydrogen peroxide

Water was found to be a convenient reaction medium for functionalization of substituted anisoles using iodine in the presence of Selectfluor F-TEDA-BF(4) or hydrogen peroxide as mediators and oxidizers. Two types of functionalization were observed: iodination or oxidation. In the iodination process, two reaction routes were established. In the case of the first route, a high iodine atom economy was achieved for selective and effective iodo functionalization with a stoichiometric ratio of substrate/iodine/(mediator/oxidizer) = 2:1:1.2. An electrophilic iodination reaction process was suggested for this route, with the oxidizer converting the liberated iodide anion to iodine. For the second reaction route, a stoichiometric ratio of substrate/iodine/(mediator/oxidizer) = 1:1:1 and a lower iodine atom economy were observed; in this case, ion radical formation in the first step of the reaction was suggested. Iodine was found to be an effective catalyst for the oxidation of a hydroxy benzyl functional group to benzaldehyde using F-TEDA-BF(4). Water is an effective medium for functionalization of anisole, p-methoxy benzyl alcohol, 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanone, o-dimethoxy benzene, m-dimethoxy benzene, and p-dimethoxy benzene, whereas F-TEDA-BF(4) as a mediator/oxidizer could be replaced by hydrogen peroxide in the case of the functionalization of 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanone, o-dimethoxy benzene, m-dimethoxy benzene, and p-dimethoxy benzene. Water changes the type of transformation of p-methoxy benzyl alcohol.     

Gaseous catalysts for end-point indication in titrimetric analysis in the microgram range with iodide and bromide as catalysts

A new technique for end-point detection in titrations with bromate is described. The first drop in excess causes evolution of bromine which is swept by nitrogen into an indicator vessel. There, the bromine reacts with iodide to form iodine which catalyzes the cerium(IV)—arsenic(III) reaction or with sulfite to form bromide which catalyzes the permanganate—iodine reaction. Microgram amounts of antimony(III) or arsenic(III) can be determined.     

Heme peroxidase-catalyzed iodination of human angiotensins and the effect of iodination on angiotensin converting enzyme activity

The heme peroxidase-catalyzed iodination of human angiotensins I and II is described. It is observed that lactoperoxidase (LPO) can effectively and selectively iodinate the tyrosyl residues in angiotensin peptides. The thiourea/thiouracil-based peroxidase inhibitors effectively inhibit the iodination reactions, indicating that iodination is an enzymatic reaction and the mechanism of iodination is similar to that of peroxidase-catalyzed iodination of thyroglobulin. This study also shows that the monoiodo Ang I is a better substrate for the angiotensin converting enzyme than the native peptide.     

Investigation on the iodination reaction of methylene blue by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with ionspray ionisation.

Radioactive iodine (131I and 123I) labelled methylene blue is used for the early diagnosis of melanoma metastases. We studied the iodination reaction of methylene blue (using "cold" iodine) in order to characterise the iodination product(s) as far as number and position of iodine atoms introduced on the aromatic ring(s) is concerned. The reaction was carried out under the same experimental conditions used for the radioactive one, that is in a large excess of methylene blue. The ionspray HPLC-MS analysis of the reaction mixture showed that the iodinated methylene blue was present only in a very small amount and the main iodinated product was a demethylated one, coming out from the iodination of an impurity azure B. We also studied the iodination reaction of azure B in order to better explain the reaction pathway. Commercial azure B contains impurities of methylene blue and all the possible demethylated derivatives. HPLC-MS analysis of the reaction mixture allowed a complete characterisation of the iodinated and bis-iodinated products.     

FLASH PHOTOLYSIS OF 3-IODOTYROSINE IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION AT pH 5

Abstract— The 3-tyrosinyl free radicals (3-Tyr) and iodine atom are formed by flash photolysis of 3-iodotyrosine (3-Tyr-I) in aqueous solutions at pH 5. The presence of iodine atoms in the medium is characterized by the absorption spectrum and the decay kinetics of I formed when KI is added to the system. In the absence of radical scavengers, the 3-Tyr adds to or reacts with the parent molecule to produce a transient species, probably a radical dimer, which has an absorption maximum at 405 nm. The decay of this transient follows second order kinetics whose rate constant increases with decreasing 3-iodotyrosine concentration. Measurements of the dependence of the transient yield on the concentration of added ethanol indicate that the 3-Tyr radical reacts with ethanol by hydrogen abstraction. The rate constants of reaction of the 3-Tyr radical with 3-iodotyrosine and ethanol are deduced from results.     

Convenient Synthesis of Benziodazolone: New Reagents for Direct Esterification of Alcohols and Amidation of Amines

Hypervalent iodine heterocycles represent one of the important classes of hypervalent iodine reagents with many applications in organic synthesis. This paper reports a simple and convenient synthesis of benziodazolones by the reaction of readily available iodobenzamides with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid in acetonitrile at room temperature. The structure of one of these new iodine heterocycles was confirmed by X-ray analysis. In combination with PPh₃ and pyridine, these benziodazolones can smoothly react with alcohols or amines to produce the corresponding esters or amides of 3-chlorobenzoic acid, respectively. It was found that the novel benziodazolone reagent reacts more efficiently than the analogous benziodoxolone reagent in this esterification.     

Copper-catalyzed three-component reaction of ethynylstibanes,organic azides,and selenium: A simple and efficient synthesis of novel selenides and diselenides having 1,2,3-triazole rings

A simple method for the synthesis of monoselenides and diselenides having 1,2,3-triazole ring is described herein. The three component reaction of ethynylstibanes, organic azides, and selenium powder is catalyzed by CuI (10?mol%) using 1,10-phenanthroline as the ligand (10?mol%) under aerobic conditions. Either selenides or diselenides can be synthesized by selecting the appropriate amount of selenium powder for otherwise identical reaction conditions. The obtained selenides and diselenides having a 1,2,3-triazole ring are all novel compounds. By using an antimony reagent, this one-pot reaction provides regioselective double Se-arylation under simple reaction conditions.     

Solvents effects in the photodegradation and reactivity of the various ionic forms of haematoporphyrin

The dependence of the ionic forms of haematoporphyrin(LX) dihydrochloride (HpdiCl) on solvent composition was investigated. In 2.8 x 10(-4) M solutions of HpdiCl in apolar (C6H6) and polar (CH3CN) solvents, HpdiCl exists in dicationic form. In hydrogen-bonding solvents, such as CH3OH, HpdiCl can exist in neutral, monocationic and dicationic forms. In C6H6-CH3OH solvent mixtures, the ionic forms in which HpdiCl is present depend on the composition of the solvent and on the acidity of the solution. The rate of oxidative photodegradation of HpdiCl excitation in its Q bands (WBI) and the ability to produce free radicals are different for the different ionic species. The highest values correspond to the dicationic form of HpdiCl and the lowest values correspond to the neutral species. In the absence of oxygen, the formation of free radicals due to the reaction of 3(Hp dication) is detected in the following solvent mixtures: CH3OH-toluene, CH3OH-ethylbenzene, CH3OH-hexane. The data obtained indicate that interaction of 3(Hp dication) with methine groups is an intermediate step in the formation of free radicals. In the HpdiCl concentration range studied, the presence of a phenolic antioxidant, such as beta-naphtol, inhibits the oxidative photodegradation of the dicationic form in a treated solution, but has little effect on the oxidative photobleaching of the monocation. The rate of oxidative photodegradation of the monocationic form increases with the addition of propionic acid to the solution.     

Green iodination of pyrazoles with iodine/hydrogen peroxide in water

In this Letter, we describe a practical, green iodination of pyrazoles to form the corresponding 4-iodopyrazole derivatives. The reaction takes place in water, using only 0.5 equiv of iodine and 0.6 equiv of hydrogen peroxide, a system that generates water as the only reaction by-product.     

Glutathione peroxidase-like antioxidant activity of diaryl diselenides: a mechanistic study.

The synthesis, structure, and thiol peroxidase-like antioxidant activities of several diaryl diselenides having intramolecularly coordinating amino groups are described. The diselenides derived from enantiomerically pure R-(+)- and S-(-)-N,N-dimethyl(1-ferrocenylethyl)amine show excellent peroxidase activity. To investigate the mechanistic role of various organoselenium intermediates, a detailed in situ characterization of the intermediates has been carried out by (77)Se NMR spectroscopy. While most of the diselenides exert their peroxidase activity via selenol, selenenic acid, and selenenyl sulfide intermediates, the differences in the relative activities of the diselenides are due to the varying degree of intramolecular Se.N interaction. The diselenides having strong Se.N interactions are found to be inactive due to the ability of their selenenyl sulfide derivatives to enhance the reverse GPx cycle (RSeSR + H(2)O(2) = RSeOH). In these cases, the nucleophilic attack of thiol takes place preferentially at selenium rather than sulfur and this reduces the formation of selenol by terminating the forward reaction. On the other hand, the diselenides having weak Se.N interactions are found to be more active due to the fast reaction of the selenenyl sulfide derivatives with thiol to produce diphenyl disulfide and the expected selenol (RSeSR + PhSH = PhSSPh + RSeH). The unsubstituted diaryl diselenides are found to be less active due to the slow reactions of these diselenides with thiol and hydrogen peroxide and also due to the instability of the intermediates. The catalytic cycles of 18 and 19 strongly resemble the mechanism by which the natural enzyme, glutathione peroxidase, catalyzes the reduction of hydroperoxides.     

Rhodium-catalyzed reductive coupling of disulfides and diselenides with alkyl halides, using hydrogen as a reducing agent

[reaction: see text] We have established that RhCl(PPh3)3 catalyzes a reductive coupling of disulfides and diselenides with alkyl halides in the presence of triethylamine using hydrogen as a reducing agent. This reaction serves as a convenient new method to produce unsymmetrical sulfides and selenides from disulfides and diselenides instead of unstable and odoriferous thiols and selenols.     

Allylation of Diselenides,Aldehydes and Ketones with Ytterbium/Allyl Bromide System

In the presence of methyliodide, ytterbium can react with allyl bromide smoothly to form allylytterbium bromide, which further reacts with diselenides, aldehydes and ketones to afford allylselenides and homoallylic alcohols respectively in good yields under mild and neutral conditions.