Synthesis and studies of spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of dinuclear ruthenium(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">II</Emphasis>) and manganese(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">II</Emphasis>) complexes

New dinuclear ruthenium manganese complexes of general composition (bpy)₂Ru(L)MnCl_x(H₂O)₂ (L is 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione, 3,3′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridyl, or bis(pyrazolyl); x = 2 or 4) were synthesized by the reaction of (bpy)₂Ru(L) with MnCl₂ · 4H₂O. These compounds and the starting mononuclear ruthenium complexes were studied by spectrophotometric and electrochemical methods in MeCN. The position of the charge-transfer band Ru^II → L in the spectra depends on the donor-acceptor characteristics of the ligand L. For the dinuclear complex under study, the formal potentials of reversible one-electron oxidation of Ru^II are in the range of 0.9–1.2 V (vs. the standard hydrogen electrode), whereas oxidation of Mn^II occurs at more positive (by 0.1–0.2 V) potentials. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2281–2285, October, 2005.     

Spacered dinuclear copper(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">II</Emphasis>) complexes with acyldihydrazones of aliphatic dicarboxylic acids and 2-hydroxy-5-nitroacetophenone

Dinuclear copper(II) complexes with acyldihydrazones of 2-hydroxy-5-nitroacetophenone (H₄L) of the composition Cu₂(Py)_xL·mEtOH were synthesized and characterized. In these complexes, the coordination polyhedra of the copper atoms are linked to each other by a polymethylene chain of different lengths, from one to five monomer units. The structure of the [Cu₂L·4Mrf] complex (Mrf is morpholine) based on acyldihydrazone of malonic acid was established by X-ray diffraction. The copper(II) atoms in this complex are [4+1]-coordinated and are spaced by 6.94 Å. At room temperature, the signal in the ESR spectra of solutions of the complexes based on acyldihydrazones of malonic, succinic, glutaric, and adipic acids has a seven-line hyperfine structure with the constant of (35.3–38.8)·10⁻⁴ cm⁻¹ (g = 2.109–2.112) due to exchange interactions between unpaired electrons and two equivalent copper nuclei. An increase in the length of the polymethylene chain to five monomer units hinders exchange interactions, and the ESR signal of the complex based on acyldihydrazone of pimelic acid has a four-line hyperfine structure with a _Cu = 72.7·10⁻⁴ cm⁻¹ typical of mononuclear copper(II) complexes. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 229–234, February, 2007.     

EPR spectra and structures of dinuclear copper(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">II</Emphasis>) complexes with acyldihydrazones of benzenedicarboxylic acids

Spacer-armed dinuclear copper(II) complexes with condensation products of isophthalic and terephthalic acid dihydrazides with salicylaldehyde and 2-hydroxyacetophenone were synthesized and studied by EPR and X-ray diffraction. The compositions and structures of most of the complexes were determined by elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and IR spectroscopy. The structure of the copper(II) complex with acyldihydrazone of salicylaldehyde and 1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid (H₄L) with the composition [Cu₂L¹·2morph·MeOH] (morph is morpholine) was established by X-ray diffraction. The Cu^II atoms are spaced by 10.29 Å and are structurally nonequivalent. One copper cation has a square-planar coordination formed by donor atoms (2 N + O) of the doubly deprotonated acylhydrazine fragment and the N atom of the morpholine molecule. The second copper atom is additionally coordinated by a methanol molecule through the oxygen atom, so that this copper atom is in a tetragonal-pyramidal coordination with the oxygen atom in the axial position. The EPR spectra of liquid solutions of the complexes based on 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid acyldihydrazones and 1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid bis(salicylidene)hydrazone at room temperature show a four-line hyperfine structure with the constant a _Cu = 54.4–67.0·10⁻⁴ cm⁻¹ (g = 2.105–2.147), which is indicative of the independent behavior of the paramagnetic centers. The EPR spectrum of a solution of the complex based on isophthalic acid and 2-hydroxyacetophenone shows the seven-line hyperfine structure corresponding to two equivalent copper nuclei (g = 2.11, a _Cu = 36.5·10⁻⁴ cm⁻¹). Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 1898–1905, October, 2007.     

Ionic mobility in the antimony(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">iii</Emphasis>) fluorochloride complexes

Ionic mobility in the NaSbClF₃ · H₂O, KSbClF₃, and NH₄SbClF₃ fluorochloride complexes was studied by ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy in the temperature interval from 150 to 480 K. The types of ionic motions in the compounds were determined. Their physicochemical characteristics were compared with those of the earlier studied sodium, potassium, and ammonium tetrafluoroantimonates(iii). The replacement of one F atom by the Cl atom in MSbF₄ (M = Na, K, NH₄) changes both the structure of the Sb polyhedra forming the structure of the antimony(iii) fluorochloride complex and the character of ionic motions in the compounds. The ionic conductivity in the 324–436 K range was determined for NH₄SbClF₃: σ = 1.07 · 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at T = 423 K. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1353–1357, July, 2008.     

Shift of stereochemical nonrigidity from coordination units to polymethylene fragments in heterospin copper(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">II</Emphasis>) hexafluoroacetylacetonate complexes with nitronyl nitroxide biradicals

The reactions of bis(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)copper(II) [Cu(hfac)₂] with the nitronyl nitroxide biradicals bis[4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-3-oxide-1-oxyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)pyrazol-1-yl]alkanes (L⁶, L¹⁰, and L¹²) produced the framework heterospin complex [Cu(hfac)₂]₂L⁶ and the layer-polymeric heterospin complexes [Cu(hfac)₂]₂L¹⁰ and {[Cu(hfac)₂]₂L¹²} [Cu(hfac)₂(PrⁱOH)₂], respectively. In the solid state of these compounds, the stereochemical nonrigidity is manifested as a deformation of the polymethylene fragments-(CH₂)_n-. Dedicated to Academician G. A. Abakumov on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1732–1741, September, 2007.     

Estimation of the specific content and nature of sorption sites of iron(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">III</Emphasis>) and zirconium(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">IV</Emphasis>) oxyhydroxides

The sorption of anions H₂PO₄ ⁻, HPO₄ ²⁻, PO₄ ³⁻, [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻, and [Fe(CN)₆]⁴⁻ from aqueous solutions on the surface of Fe^III and Zr^IV oxyhydroxide hydrogels freshly precipitated at pH 4–13 was studied. The region of sorbate concentrations was from 0.00025 to 0.06 mol L⁻¹. The plots of the anion uptakes vs. their equilibrium concentrations are represented by isotherms of the first type, which are well described by the Langmuir equation if the quantity of the amount adsorbed is expressed as mol-site g⁻¹. The maximum uptakes and constants of the Langmuir equation were calculated. The phosphate anions occupy the same number of sorption sites on the sorbents precipitated at different pH. The average specific content of sorption sites for the ferro- and zirconogels in the metastability period is independent of the pH of their precipitation, being 3.1·10⁻³ and 3.2·10⁻³ mol-site g⁻¹, respectively. The [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻ and [Fe(CN)₆]⁴⁻ anions are sorbed only on the positively charged sites of the hydrogels and occupy not more than 2·10 mol-site g⁻¹ in the studied interval of pH of precipitation. __________ Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1736—1741, August, 2005.     

Palladium(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">I</Emphasis>) and palladium(0) carbonyl bromide complexes

New Pd^I and Pd⁰ carbonyl bromide complexes co-existing in the same crystal were synthesized and studied by X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystals consist of dimeric complex anions composed of the central Pd(μ-CO)₂Pd fragment and four partially disordered terminal ligands (CO and Br⁻). The complexes were characterized by IR, ESR, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1349–1355, June, 2005.     

Borohydride reduction of acetophenone and esters of dehydrocarboxylic acids in the presence of chiral cobalt(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">II</Emphasis>) diamine complexes

The catalytic reduction of acetophenone, methyl α-acetamidocinnamate, and dimethyl itaconate with alcohol-modified sodium borohydride was studied in the presence of complexes CoCl₂·L₂ (L₂ are chiral C ₂-symmetric diamines: (4S,5S)-2,2-dimethyl-4,5-bis(aminomethyl)-1,3-dioxolane, (4S, 5S)-2,2-dimethyl-4,5-bis(methylaminomethyl)-1,3-dioxolane, (4S, 5S)-2,2-dimethyl-4,5-bis(dimethylaminomethyl)-1,3-dioxolane, and (4S, 5S)-2,2-dimethyl-4,5-bis(diphenylaminomethyl)-1,3-dioxolane). The maximum enantiomeric excess of (S)-1-phenylethanol was 24%, that of dimethyl α-methylsuccinate was 38%.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 342–347, February, 2005.     

Co<Superscript>II</Superscript> and Rh<Superscript>I</Superscript> complexes with <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis><Subscript>2</Subscript>-symmetric chiral diamines of the dioxolane series

The reaction of di-μ-chlorobis(1,5-cyclooctadiene)dirhodium with (4S, 5S)-2,2-dimethyl-4,5-bis(methylaminomethyl)-1,3-dioxolane (1) gave the complex [Rh(cod)(1)]Cl (cod is 1,5-cyclooctadiene). The composition of the complexes CoCl₂ · L₂ and [Rh(cod)(L₂)]X (L₂ = 1, (4S,5S)-2,2-dimethyl-4,5-bis(aminomethyl)-1,3-dioxolane, and (4S, 5S)-2,2-dimethyl-4,5-bis(dimethylaminomethyl)-1,3-dioxolane; X = Cl, TfO) was studied using IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. In the Rh^I cyclooctadienediamine complexes, the diene molecule forms a stronger bond with the metal atom than that in the cyclooctadienediphosphine analogs. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2270–2274, October, 2005.     

Kinetics and mechanism of hydrogen peroxide decomposition in the presence of the tetraaquapalladium(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">II</Emphasis>) complex

Kinetics of hydrogen peroxide decomposition in the presence of the tetraaquapalladium(II) complex in an aqueous solution at 40–70 °C was studied. The reaction rate is the first order with respect to the concentration of both Pd^II and H₂O₂ and the negative first order with respect to perchloric acid. Using free radicals traps, the reaction mechanism was found to differ from the traditional free-radical mechanism known for d-metal aqua ions and proceeds without generation of hydroxyl radicals. The kinetic data obtained suggest a mechanism involving the formation of an intermediate palladium complex with oxygen. __________ Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1077–1082, May, 2005.     

Hexanuclear methanediolate bridged iron(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">III</Emphasis>) complex

The hexanuclear complex [Fe₆(O)₂(CH₂O₂) (OOCCMe₃)₁₂ (THF)₂]·THF was synthesized. The characteristic feature of this complex is the presence of the methanedithiolate bridge.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 795–797, March, 2005.     

Determination of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">D</Emphasis>- and <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">L</Emphasis>-amino acids produced by cyanobacteria using gas chromatography on Chirasil-Val after derivatization with pentafluoropropyl chloroformate

A rapid and simple method was developed for the determination of free amino acids (AAs) released from cyanobacteria. The procedure involves trapping of AAs from the centrifuged cyanobacterial culture fluid on a cation-exchange resin, their release together with the resin by direct treatment with the reaction medium, followed by immediate derivatization with a corresponding chloroformate. The extractive alkylation transfers the analytes into an organic phase, an aliquot of which is subjected to GC analysis. Identification and quantification of AAs was performed by GC/MS and GC/FID, respectively, using propyl chloroformate (PCF) as the derivatization reagent. For chiral analysis, the cyanobacteria extracts were treated with 2,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropyl chloroformate (PFPCF) to create more volatile analytes. Separation of the AA enantiomers was accomplished on a Chirasil-Val capillary column and the D/L enantiomeric ratios were determined. AAs of cyanobacteria are considered to be important for the assessment of energy flow in an aquatic food web, nutrition value of cyanobacteria in a food web and for cell–cell communication within cyanobacteria. The highest levels of AAs were found in the summer period at the beginning of the season (July). In the September and October samples, the amount of AAs was lower, the number of D-AAs decreased and the D/L ratio was higher than in the July sample. Based on the obtained results it can be assumed that young populations excrete AAs in higher concentrations and a different composition compared to actively growing populations. Figure PFPCF derivatization scheme     

Preparation of nanoparticle colloids of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>-poly(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">D</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">L</Emphasis>-lactide): effects of surfactant and organic solvent

Nanoparticle colloids of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(D,L-lactide) (MPEG-b-PDLL) diblock copolymer were prepared by a modified spontaneous emulsification solvent diffusion method using acetone/ethanol as the mixture organic solvents. The MPEG-b-PDLL was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of D,L-lactide using stannous octoate and MPEG with molecular weight of 5,000 g/mol as the initiating system. The MPEG-b-PDLL obtained was an amorphous polymer with molecular weight of 73,600 g/mol. Influences of acetone/ethanol (v/v) ratios and Tween 80 surfactant concentrations on characteristics of the colloidal nanoparticles were investigated and discussed. Light-scattering analysis showed that average diameters of the surfactant-free colloidal nanoparticles were in the range of 86–124 nm. The nanoparticle sizes decreased as the ethanol ratio increased. The Tween 80 did not show the significant effect on the nanoparticle sizes. Scanning electron micrographs of dried nanoparticles that demonstrated the aggregation of most particles suggested they were the soft nanoparticles. However, the dried nanoparticle morphology can be observed from scanning electron microscopy as having a spherical shape and smooth surfaces.     

Determination of serum <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-lactic and <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-lactic acids in normal subjects and diabetic patients by column-switching HPLC with pre-column fluorescence derivatization

d-Lactic and l-lactic acids were simultaneously determined by means of a column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. As a fluorescence reagent, 4-nitro-7-piperazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-PZ) was employed for the fluorescence derivatization of lactic acid. The proposed HPLC system adopted both octylsilica (Cadenza CD-C8) and amylose-based chiral columns (CHIRALPAK AD-RH), which proved to give a sufficient enantiomeric separation of the lactic acid derivatives with a separation factor () of 1.32 and a resolution (R_s) of 1.98. Moreover, the features of the first elution of d-lactic acid peak in the proposed HPLC were convenient for the determination of trace amount of serum d-lactic acid, which is known to increase under diabetes. Intra-day and inter-day accuracies were in the range of 90.5–101.2 and 89.0–100.7%, and the intra-day and inter-day precisions were 0.3–1.2 and 0.4–4.8%, respectively. The proposed method was applied to determine d-lactic and l-lactic acids in human serum of normal subjects and diabetic patients, showing that both d-lactic and l-lactic acid concentrations were significantly increased in the serum of diabetic patients (n=31) as compared with normal subjects (n=21). This fact was found for the first time owing to the development of the proposed HPLC method which is able to determine d-lactic and l-lactic acid simultaneously. Finally, serum d-lactic acid concentrations determined by the proposed HPLC method were compared with those from a reported enzymatic assay, and the smaller p value between normal subjects and diabetic patients was shown by the proposed HPLC method.     

5-[2-(Methylthio)ethyl]-3-phenyl-2-thioxoimidazolidin-4-one and its complexes with transition metals (Co<Superscript>II</Superscript>, Ni<Superscript>II</Superscript>, and Cu<Superscript>II</Superscript>). Synthesis and electrochemical investigation

The reaction of 5-[2-(methylthio)ethyl]-3-phenyl-2-thioxoimidazolidin-4-one (LH) with salts MCl₂· xH₂O (M = Co, Ni, Cu; x = 2, 6) afforded the [M(L)Cl]_n complexes of Ni^II, Co^II, and Cu^II. The electrochemical behavior of the LH ligand and its complexes was studied using the cyclic voltammetry and rotating disk electrode techniques. The structures of the synthesized compounds were determined by the data of UV—Vis and IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and electrochemical characteristics. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 339–343, February, 2007.     

Fluorescent sensing layer for the determination of<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps"> L</Emphasis>-malic acid in wine

An enzymatic method for determining L-malic acid in wine based on an L-malate sensing layer with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺), L-malate dehydrogenase (L-MDH) and diaphorase (DI), immobilized by sol-gel technology, was constructed and evaluated. The sol-gel glass was prepared with tetramethoxysilane (TMOS), water and HCl. L-MDH catalyzes the reaction between L-malate and NAD⁺, producing NADH, whose fluorescence (λ _exc = 340 nm, λ _em = 430 nm) could be directly related to the amount of L-malate. NADH is converted to NAD⁺ by applying hexacyanoferrate(III) as oxidant in the presence of DI. Some parameters affecting sol-gel encapsulation and the pH of the enzymatic reaction were studied. The sensing layer has a dynamic range of 0.1–1.0 g/L of L-malate and a long-term storage stability of 25 days. It exhibits acceptable reproducibility [s _r(%)≈10] and allows six regenerations. The content of L-malic acid was determined for different types of wine, and polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) was used as a bleaching agent with red wine. The results obtained for the wine samples using the sensing layer are comparable to those obtained from a reference method based on UV-vis molecular absorption spectrometry, if the matrix effect is corrected for.     

The electrochemical polymerization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-phenylenediamine on <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-tyrosine functionalized glassy carbon electrode and its application

The polymerization of o-phenylenediamine (OPD) on l-tyrosine (Tyr) functionalized glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and its electro-catalytic oxidation towards ascorbic acid (AA) had been studied in this report. l-Tyrosine was first covalently grafted on GCE surface via electrochemical oxidation, which was followed by the electrochemical polymerization of OPD on the l-tyrosine functionalized GCE. Then, the poly(o-phenylenediamine)/l-tyrosine composite film modified GCE (POPD-Tyr/GCE) was obtained. X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), and electrochemical techniques have been used to characterize the grafting of l-tyrosine and the polymerization and morphology of OPD film on GCE surface. Due to the doping of the carboxylic functionalities in l-tyrosine molecules, the POPD film showed good redox activity in neutral medium, and thus, the POPD-Tyr/GCE exhibited excellent electrocatalytic response to AA in 0.1 mol l⁻¹ phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH 6.8). The anode peak potential of AA shifted from 0.58 V at GCE to 0.35 V at POPD-Tyr/GCE with a greatly enhanced current response. A linear calibration graph was obtained over the AA concentration range of 2.5 × 10⁻⁴–1.5 × 10^–3 mol l⁻¹ with a correlation coefficient of 0.9998. The detection limit (3δ) for AA was 9.2 × 10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹. The modified electrode showed good stability and reproducibility and had been used for the determination of AA content in vitamin C tablet with satisfactory results.     

Temperature- and pressure-responsive properties of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>- and<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps"> dl</Emphasis>-forms of poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-(1-hydroxymethyl)propylmethacrylamide) in aqueous solutions

The structural transition of the l- and dl forms of poly(N-(1- hydroxymethyl)propylmethacrylamide (PHMPMA) in aqueous solution was studied by measuring the pressure dependence of the apparent scattering intensity, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and circular dichroism (CD). The thermodynamic implications of the results are discussed in relation to the chiral structure of the side chain, and differences in the thermal and barometric transitions. T-P diagrams of the transition showed characteristic ellipsoid features. Antagonism of the temperature and pressure effects was observed only for P(dl-HMPMA). For P(l-HMPMA), the transition temperature (T _tr) decreased with increasing pressure, and the highest T _tr was observed at atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa). For both polymers, the highest P _trs were observed at the lowest temperatures. The l polymer showed a specific negative peak in its CD spectrum at around 220 nm in the lower temperature region and the temperature dependence was reproduced by a single-step transition, with the midpoint corresponding to the T _tr obtained from the scattering measurements. Coupled with the results from the DSC, the different behavior between the P(l-HMPMA) and P(dl-HMPMA) could be explained in terms of the chain states before and after the transition. The cooperative factors derived from the DSC measurement revealed that about 4 to 5 polymers of the present size were necessary to perform a thermal transition for P(l-HMPMA), and that P(dl-HMPMA) underwent its transition as an almost single molecular event.This revised version was published online in June 2005 with correction to the article category.     

Rapid Determination of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-Glutamine using Engineered <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> Overexpressing Glutamine Synthetase

A genetically engineered Escherichia coli was developed as the source of enzyme for rapidly quantifying glutamine. E. coli BL21 (DE3) cells overexpressing a glutamine synthetase from Bacillus subtilis were prepared as tube aliquots and used in a small volume of nontoxic mixture. The current method was compared to high performance liquid chromatography analysis, Sigma kit (GLN-1) and Mecke method. The method is applicable to a wide range of glutamine concentrations (0.05–2.5 mM) and correlates well to the detection results obtained from high performance liquid chromatography (Pearson correlation is 0.978 at the 0.01 level). Moreover, the whole assay procedure takes less than 15 min and uses nontoxic reagents, so it can be applied to monitor glutamine production and utilization conveniently.     

Enantioselective visualization of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">D</Emphasis>-alanine in rat anterior pituitary gland: localization to ACTH-secreting cells

The cellular localization of D-alanine (D-Ala) in the rat pituitary gland, the tissue containing the highest amount of D-Ala, has been clarified for the first time by enantioselective visualization of D-Ala using our own established mouse monoclonal antibody against D-Ala. D-Ala immunopositive cells were present predominantly in the anterior lobe, while no intense staining was observed in the intermediate and posterior lobes. The anterior pituitary gland contains five types of cells secreting specific hormones (growth hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), gonadotropic hormone, prolactin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone), and the double staining results indicated that D-Ala is localized to the ACTH-secreting cells. The localization of D-Ala is clearly different from that of D-aspartic acid (D-Asp), which is observed in the prolactin cells. Considered together with our previous findings that D-Ala is localized to the insulin-secreting beta-cells in the pancreas, and both ACTH and insulin are typical regulatory hormones of blood glucose, D-Ala is suggested to have some functional relationships to blood glucose level regulation in mammals.