Synthesis of 24-Methylidene[24-14C]- and 24-Methylidene[7-3H]cholesterol

The syntheses of 24-methylidene[24-¹⁴C]cholesterol ( 7a ) and of 24-methylidene[7-³H]cholesterol ( 7b ) from commercially available (20S)-3-oxopregn-4-ene-20-carbaldehyde ( 1 ) are described. The method also provides simple preparations of 3β-acetoxy[24-¹⁴C]chol-5-en-24-oic acid ( 4 ) and 24-oxocholest-5-en-3β-yl acetate ( 6b ).     

Synthesis of ammonium [14C]thiocyanate

Ammonium [¹⁴C]thiocyanate was prepared from potassium [¹⁴C]cyanide with a radiochemical yield of 90%. [¹⁴C]hydrocyanic acid, generated from potassium [¹⁴C]cyanide by sulphuric acid, reacts with aqueous ammonia and elemental sulphur in the presence of trace amounts of ammonium sulphide to yield ammonium [¹⁴C]thiocyanate.     

Synthesis of 2-dichloromethyl-2-methyl [2-14C]-1,3-dioxolane

The labelled compound was prepared by chlorination of [2-¹⁴C]acetone obtained from the barium salt of [1-¹⁴C]acetic acid by pyrolysis. The reaction product 1,1-dichloro [2-¹⁴C]acetone was converted to 2-dichloromethyl-2-methyl [2-¹⁴C]-1,3-dioxolane by condensation with ethylene glycol in the presence of thionyl chloride. Radiochemical yield: 62% based on [1-¹⁴C]acetic acid.     

Synthesis of 3β-Hydroxy[21-14C]-5β-pregn-8(14)-en-20-one from Chenodeoxycholic Acid

3β-Hydroxy[21-¹⁴C]5β-pregn-8(14)-en-20-one ( 17 ) was prepared from chenodeoxycholic acid ( 1a ). The synthetic sequence involved: (i) degradation of the bile-acid side chain to an etianic acid; (ii) formation of the 8(14)-double bond; (iii) inversion of the configuration at C(3); (iv) construction of the acetyl side chain at C(17) with the required isotopic label at C(21). Structures of all described products were confirmed by chemical and spectroscopic (IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, MS) methods.     

Synthesis of [1-14C]-labeled mandelic acid under microwave condition

Summary We report here a facile synthesis of [1-¹⁴C]-mandelic acid. Benzyl bromide on cyanation with K¹⁴CN followed by acid hydrolysis in a microwave oven gave [1-¹⁴C] phenylacetic acid. The latter on a-bromination followed by hydrolysis under microwave irradiation for 2 minutes furnished the title compound.     

Synthesis and analysis of [4−14C] phenylbutazone

[4?¹⁴C] phenylbutazone (4-butyl-1,2-diphenyl-3,5-[4?¹⁴C] pyrazolidinedione) has been synthesised on the 5 mmole scale. [2?¹⁴C] Diethyl malonate was reacted with n-butyl bromide and the product condensed with hydrazobenzene in the same reaction vessel. The radiochemical yield of highly purified product was 48%. It is proposed that care should be taken in analyses for metabolic products, particularly by TLC, since 4-hydroxyphenylbutazone was shown to be an oxidation product of phenylbutazone in solution and on TLC plates under quite mild conditions. A pure sample of 4-hydroxy [4?¹⁴C] phenylbutazone was isolated.     

Synthesis of dibenzotetraaza[14]annulenes from 3-trimethylsiloxyacroleins

7,16-Dialkyl-5,14-dihydrodibenzo[b,i][1,4,8,11]tetraza[14]annulenes have been synthesized from o-phenylenediamine and 2-alkyl-3-trimethyl-siloxyacroleins. The probable mechanism is discussed. It is shown that metallo complexes of 7,16-dialkyldibenzotetraaza[14]annulenes have been prepared in high yield under template conditions.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 10, pp. 1400–1403, October, 1992.     

Metabolism of [2-14C]thymine and [2-14C]thymidine in germinating black gram (Phaseolus mungo) seeds

The metabolism of [2-14C]thymine and [2-14C]thymidine in the cotyledons and embryonic axes of black gram (Phaseolus mungo) seedlings was investigated. Both [2-14C]thymine and [2-14C]thymidine degraded extensively into [14C]CO2. The rate of release of [14C]CO2 from [2-14C]thymine was much greater than that from [2-14C]thymidine. Radioactivity from both precursors was also observed beta-ureidoisobutyric acid. This indicated that thymine was degraded by the reductive pathway of pyrimidine degradation. Small amounts of [2-14C]thymine and [2-14C]thymidine were salvaged for deoxyribonucleotide and DNA synthesis. The highest incorporation of [2-14C]thymine and [2-14C]thymidine into the DNA fraction was observed in 24 hour-old cotyledons where net DNA synthesis was not observed. These precursors seem to be utilised for DNA synthesis of organelles of the cotyledonary cells, probably mitochondria. In embronic axes, [2-14C]thymine is more effectively salvaged for DNA synthesis than [2-14C]thymine. The incorporation rate increased during the early phase of germination and attained its maximum at 48 h after which it decreased. No thymidine kinase activity was detected in either cotyledons or in the embryonic axes. Thymidine salvage seems to be catalysed by nucleoside phosphotransferase which is present both in the cotyledons and in the embryonic axes. This suggests that, in contrast to other pyrimidine and purine bases and nucleosides, no specific salvage system for thymine and thymidine is present in black gram seedlings.     

Asymmetric synthesis of L-2-amino[3-11C]butyric acid, L-[3-11C]norvaline and L-[3-11C]valine

The short-lived radionuclide 11C (t1/2 = 20.4 min) has been used in the asymmetric synthesis of L-2-amino[3-11C]butyric acid, L-[3-11C]-norvaline and L-[3-11C]valine. The syntheses were performed by alkylation of [(+)-2-hydroxypinanyl-3-idene]-glycine tert-butyl ester under anhydrous conditions in tetrahydrofuran/1,3-dimethyl-3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2-pyrimidinone with lithiated 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine as base, using the appropriate 11C-alkyl iodides prepared in a one-pot reactor from [11C]carbon dioxide. Following removal of the protecting groups, the -[3-11C]amino acids were obtained in 80-82% enantiomeric excess and in 9-25% radiochemical yields, decay corrected and calculated on the basis of the amount of [11C]carbon dioxide at the start of the syntheses within 50-55 min.