Strong inhibition of celastrol towards UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) 1A6 and 2B7 indicating potential risk of UGT-based herb-drug interaction

Celastrol, a quinone methide triterpene isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F., has various biochemical and pharmacological activities, and is now being developed as a promising anti-tumor agent. Inhibitory activity of compounds towards UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) is an important cause of clinical drug-drug interactions and herb-drug interactions. The aim of the present study is to investigate the inhibition of celastrol towards two important UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) isoforms UGT1A6 and UGT2B7. Recombinant UGT isoforms and non-specific substrate 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) were used. The results showed that celastrol strongly inhibited the UGT1A6 and 2B7-mediated 4-MU glucuronidation reaction, with 0.9 ± 0.1% and 1.8 ± 0.2% residual 4-MU glucuronidation activity at 100 μM of celastrol, respectively. Furthermore, inhibition kinetic study (Dixon plot and Lineweaver-Burk plot) demonstrated that celastrol noncompetitively inhibited the UGT1A1-mediated 4-MU glucuronidation, and competitively inhibited UGT2B7-catalyzed 4-MU glucuronidation. The inhibition kinetic parameters (Ki) were calculated to be 0.49 μM and 0.045 μM for UGT1A6 and UGT2B7, respectively. At the therapeutic concentration of celastrol for anti-tumor utilization, the possibility of celastrol-drug interaction and celastrol-containing herbs-drug interaction were strongly indicated. However, given the complicated nature of herbs, these results should be viewed with more caution.     

Gossypol exhibits a strong influence towards UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1, 1A9 and 2B7-mediated metabolism of xenobiotics and endogenous substances

Gossypol, the polyphenolic constituent isolated from cottonseeds, has been used as a male antifertility drug for a long time, and has been demonstrated to exhibit excellent anti-tumor activity towards multiple cancer types. The toxic effects of gossypol limit its clinical utilization, and enzyme inhibition is an important facet of this. In the present study, in vitro human liver microsomal incubation system supplemented with UDPGA was used to investigate the inhibition of gossypol towards UGT1A1, 1A9 and 2B7-mediated metabolism of xenobiotics and endogenous substances. Estradiol, the probe substrate of UGT1A1, was selected as representative endogenous substance. Propofol (a probe substrate of UGT1A9) and 3'-azido-3'-deoxythimidine (AZT, a probe substrate of UGT2B7) were employed as representative xenobiotics. The results showed that gossypol noncompetitively inhibits UGT-mediated estradiol-3-glucuronidation and propofol O-glucuronidation, and the inhibition kinetic parameters (K(i)) were calculated to be 34.2 and 16.4 μM, respectively. Gossypol was demonstrated to exhibit competitive inhibition towards UGT-mediated AZT glucuronidation, and the inhibition kinetic parameter (K(i)) was determined to be 14.0 μM. All these results indicated that gossypol might induce metabolic disorders of endogenous substances and alteration of metabolic behaviour of co-administered xenobiotics through inhibition of UGTs' activity.     

Electronic effects of 1-(1, 7-B6H6C2H) and 1-(1,6-B7H7C2H) groups

Conclusions 1-[1,7-Dicarbaclozooctaboran(8)yl] (induction constant _i=0.08 and resonance constant _R°=–0.02) and 1-[1,6-dicarbaclozononaboran(9)yl] (=0.09 and _R°=0.05) groups are weak electron-acceptor groupings.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 574–576, March, 1972.     

Chelating properties of permethylated 6A,6D-dideoxy-6A,6D-bis(1-imidazolyl)cyclodextrins towards Pt(II) and Ru(III)

Two imidazole-coordinating groups have been successfully grafted onto the C-6^A and C-6^D positions of permethylated α- and β-cyclodextrin scaffolds. Both water-soluble ligands L1 and L2 turned out to behave as good chelators when reacted with K₂PtCl₄. In the resulting diamagnetic cis-chelate complexes, the metal cation is pending above the cavity entrance. Paramagnetic ruthenium(III) chelate complexes have also been successfully synthesised from L1 and L2. In these more sterically demanding octahedral complexes, the imidazole groups coordinate the metal centre in a trans-fashion.     

2'-hydroxypyridoxol, a biosynthetic precursor of vitamins B(6) and B(1) in yeast

In separate experiments cultures of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATTC 7752 were grown in the presence of [5',5'-2H2]- or of [2',2',5',5'-2H4]-3-hydroxy-2,4,5-tri(hydroxymethyl)pyridine (i.e., 2'-hydroxypyridoxol). The 2H NMR spectra of the samples of pyridoxamine dihydrochloride and of thiamin chloride hydrochloride that were isolated from the two experiments showed the presence of deuterium at the corresponding sites. Entry of deuterium from the specifically 2H-labeled samples of 2'-hydroxypyridoxol into the predicted sites of pyridoxamine and of the pyrimidine unit of thiamin provides the first unequivocal evidence that, in yeast, 2'-hydroxypyridoxol is an intermediate on the route from a C5-sugar into vitamin B6, and adds to the evidence that pyridoxol serves as a precursor of the pyrimidine unit of thiamin, supplying the C5N unit, C-2',2,N-1,C-6,5,5' as an intact unit.     

A Diastereoselective Preparation of 7-Ethyl-7-methylbicyclo[3.2.0]HEPT-2-en-6-one(1)

Alkylation of 7-endo-ethylbicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-one (2a) and 7-endo-methylbicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-one (2b) with lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) and the appropriate alkyl iodide (methyl and ethyl iodide, respectively) afforded the title compound such that alkylation had occurred exclusively on the exo face of the bicyclo[3.2.0] system.     

NaMn6(P2O7)2(P3O10) and KCd6(P2O7)2(P3O10)

The crystal structures of two new diphosphates, sodium hexamanganese bis­(diphosphate) triphosphate, NaMn₆(P₂O₇)₂(P₃O₁₀), and potassium hexacadmium bis­(diphosphate) triphosphate, KCd₆(P₂O₇)₂(P₃O₁₀), confirm the rigidity of the M₆(P₂O₇)₂(P₃O₁₀) matrix (M is Mn or Cd) and the relatively fixed dimensions of the tunnels extending in the a direction of the unit cell. The compounds are isomorphous; the P₂O₇^4? anion and the alkali metal cations lie on mirror planes. Bond‐valence analysis of the bonding details of the atoms found within the tunnels permits a prediction of the conductivity.     

Reversal of stability on metalation of pentagonal-bipyramidal (1-MB6H7(2-) 1-M-2-CB5H7(1-) and 1-M-2,4-C2B4H7) and Icosahedral (1-MB11H12(2-) 1-M-2-CB10H12(1-) and 1-M-2,4-C2B9H12) boranes (M = Al, Ga, In, and Tl): energetics of condensation and relationship to binuclear metallocenes

The usual assumption of the extra stability of icosahedral boranes (2) over pentagonal-bipyramidal boranes (1) is reversed by substitution of a vertex by a group 13 metal. This preference is a result of the geometrical requirements for optimum overlap between the five-membered face of the ligand and the metal fragment. Isodesmic equations calculated at the B3LYP/LANL2DZ level indicate that the extra stability of 1-M-2,4-C(2)B(4)H(7) varies from 14.44 kcal/mol (M = Al) to 15.30 kcal/mol (M = Tl). Similarly, M(2,4-C(2)B(4)H(6))(2)(1-) is more stable than M(2,4-C(2)B(9)H(11))(2)(1-) by 9.26 kcal/mol (M = Al) and by 6.75 kcal/mol (M = Tl). The preference for (MC(2)B(4)H(6))(2) over (MC(2)B(9)H(11))(2) at the same level is 30.54 kcal/mol (M = Al), 33.16 kcal/ mol (M = Ga) and 37.77 kcal/mol (M = In). The metal-metal bonding here is comparable to those in CpZn-ZnCp and H(2)M-MH(2) (M= Al, Ga, and In).     

The 1 (2)A(1), 1 (2)B(2), and 1 (2)A(2) states of the SO(2) (+) ion studied using multiconfiguration second-order perturbation theory

The 1 (2)A(1), 1 (2)B(2), and 1 (2)A(2) electronic states of the SO(2) (+) ion have been studied using multiconfiguration second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2) and two contracted atomic natural orbital basis sets, S[6s4p3d1f]/O[5s3p2d1f] (ANO-L) and S[4s3p2d]/O[3s2p1d] (ANO-S), and the three states were considered to correspond to the observed X, B, and A states, respectively, in the previous experimental and theoretical studies. Based on the CASPT2/ANO-L adiabatic excitation energy calculations, the X, A, and B states of SO(2) (+) are assigned to 1 (2)A(1), 1 (2)B(2), and 1 (2)A(2), respectively, and our assignments of the A and B states are contrary to the previous assignments (A to (2)A(2) and B to (2)B(2)). The CASPT2/ANO-L energetic calculations also indicate that the 1 (2)A(1), 1 (2)B(2), and 1 (2)A(2) states are, respectively, the ground, first excited, and second excited states at the ground-state (1 (2)A(1)) geometry of the ion and at the geometry of the ground-state SO(2) molecule. Based on the CASPT2/ANO-L results for the geometries, we realize that the experimental geometries (determined by assuming the bond lengths to be the same as the neutral ground state of SO(2)) were not accurate. The CASPT2/ANO-S calculations for the potential energy curves as functions of the OSO angle confirm that the 1 (2)B(2) and 1 (2)A(2) states are the results of the Renner-Teller effect in the degenerate (2)Pi(g) state at the linear geometry, and it is clearly shown that the 1 (2)B(2) curve, as the lower component of the Renner splitting, lies below the 1 (2)A(2) curve. The UB3LYP/cc-pVTZ adiabatic excitation energy calculations support the assignments (A to (2)B(2) and B to (2)A(2)) based on the CASPT2/ANO-L calculations.     

B7Be6B7: A Boron-Beryllium Sandwich Complex

Planar boron clusters have often been regarded as “π-analogous” to aromatic arenes because of their similar delocalized π-bonding. However, unlike arenes such as C₅H₅⁻ and C₆H₆, boron clusters have not previously shown the ability to form sandwich complexes. In this study, we present the first sandwich complex involving beryllium and boron, B₇Be₆B₇. The global minimum of this combination adopts a unique architecture having a D_6h geometry, featuring an unprecedented monocyclic Be₆ ring sandwiched between two quasi-planar B₇ motifs. The thermochemical and kinetic stability of B₇Be₆B₇ can be attributed to strong electrostatic and covalent interactions between the fragments. Chemical bonding analysis shows that B₇Be₆B₇ can be considered as a [B₇]³⁻[Be₆]⁶⁺[B₇]³⁻ complex. Moreover, there is a significant electron delocalization within this cluster, supported by the local diatropic contributions of the B₇ and Be₆ fragments.     

Potential Assessment of UGT2B17 Inhibition by Salicylic Acid in Human Supersomes In Vitro

Glucuronidation is a Phase 2 metabolic pathway responsible for the metabolism and excretion of testosterone to a conjugate testosterone glucuronide. Bioavailability and the rate of anabolic steroid testosterone metabolism can be affected upon UGT glucuronidation enzyme alteration. However, there is a lack of information about the in vitro potential assessment of UGT2B17 inhibition by salicylic acid. The purpose of this study is to investigate if UGT2B17 enzyme activity is inhibited by salicylic acid. A UGT2B17 assay was developed and validated by HPLC using a C18 reversed phase column (SUPELCO 25 cm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) at 246 nm using a gradient elution mobile phase system: (A) phosphate buffer (0.01 M) at pH = 3.8, (B) HPLC grade acetonitrile and (C) HPLC grade methanol. The UGT2B17 metabolite (testosterone glucuronide) was quantified using human UGT2B17 supersomes by a validated HPLC method. The type of inhibition was determined by Lineweaver–Burk plots. These were constructed from the in vitro inhibition of salicylic acid at different concentration levels. The UGT2B17 assay showed good linearity (R2 > 0.99), acceptable recovery and accuracy (80–120%), good reproducibility and acceptable inter and intra-assay precision (<15%), low detection (6.42 and 2.76 μM) and quantitation limit values (19.46 and 8.38 μM) for testosterone and testosterone glucuronide respectively, according to ICH guidelines. Testosterone and testosterone glucuronide were found to be stable up to 72 h in normal laboratory conditions. Our investigational study showed that salicylic acid uncompetitively inhibited UGT2B17 enzyme activity. Thus, drugs that are substrates for the UGT2B17 enzyme have negligible potential effect of causing interaction with salicylic acid in humans.     

Sr2MgOsO6: A Frustrated Os6+ (5d2) Double Perovskite with Strong Antiferromagnetic Interactions

The Os⁶⁺ (t_2g²) double perovskite Sr₂MgOsO₆ was prepared as polycrystalline material from the respective binary metal oxides. Sr₂MgOsO₆ crystallizes with the tetragonal space group I4/m. Magnetization and specific heat measurements show a broad anomaly near 100 K, but no well‐defined cusp. The magnetism is governed by strong antiferromagnetic interactions. Sr₂MgOsO₆ constitutes a new example for the peculiar, poorly understood magnetism of 5d² ions on a frustrated fcc lattice, where spin‐orbit coupling and orbital physics are expected to play an important role.     

Structural description of the Na(2)B(4)O(7)-Na(3)AlF(6)-TiO(2) system. 1. IR and Raman study of the solidified melts

The pseudo-binary Na2B4O7-[Na3AlF6-TiO2]11 system has been investigated at room temperature by means of X-ray diffraction, IR, Raman, and UV-vis spectroscopies. Evolution of the different spectra with Na2B4O7 and TiO2 contents evidenced the breaking-up of the large borate rings in favor of small borate units, the diminution of the BIV fraction, and the partial substitution of oxygen by fluorine with the formation of oxyfluoride species. Two domains of compositions are described: a TiO2-rich region with 20-50% Na2B4O7 with the lowering of boron coordination and formation of Ti(O,F)6 units and a TiO2-poor region with 60-90% Na2B4O7 where the Na3AlF6 modifier behavior is predominant. The enhanced modifier effect of [Na3AlF6-TiO2]11 in comparison with pure Na3AlF6 on the vitreous network of Na2B4O7 consists of fluorine preference for binding to higher strength cations, Ti4+, over Al3+ and Na+ respectively, when TiO2 addition exceeds 5 wt %.     

A new synthetic approach towards 7-substituted 2-alkyl-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-fluorenes

Cyclization of 2-(4-bromophenyl)-5-pentylcyclohex-1-ene-1-carboxylic acid followed by reduction of the carbonyl group resulted in the corresponding 7-substituted derivative of 2-alkyl-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-fluorene.