Selective hydrogenolysis of benzyl-protected 1-hydroxy-3-hydroxyimino-2-pyrrolidinones

On hydrogenolysis of 1-benzyloxy-3-benzyloxyimino-2-pyrrolidinones in the presence of 10% Pd/C selective removal occurs of the O-benzyl (Bn) protection of the hydroxamic acid, with retention of the double bond and benzyl protection of the oxime group. The yields of reaction products were 66–98%. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 7, pp. 1011–1014, July, 2006.     

Thermodynamic and spectroscopic properties of 2-pyrrolidinones. 2. Dielectric properties of 2-pyrrolidinone in binary mixtures

Dielectric permittivities of 2-pyrrolidinone - acetone, -dimethyl sulfoxide,-2-propanol, -dichloromethane and -water systems were measured as a function of mole fraction over the whole composition range at 30 and 50°C. The excess dielectric permittivities are predominantly negative for all the mixtures and the excess molar polarizations are negative except for 2-pyrrolidinone - water and 2-pyrrolidinone - dimethyl sulfoxide mixtures. The large negative excess quantities are indicative of the strong specific interactions between the like and unlike components of the solution mixtures.     

An investigation of keto–enol tautomerism in N-vinyl-2-, and 3-pyrrolidinones using ab initio and density functional theory calculations

We investigated the protomeric tautomerism of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NV2P) and N-vinyl-3-pyrrolidinone (NV3P) molecules, and considered the three neutral tautomers for NV2P (1a, 1b, 1c) and the five for NV3P (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e). Full geometry optimizations were carried out at the HF/6-31G**, HF/6-31+G** and B3LYP/6-31+G** levels in the gas phase and in water. Additionally, single-point MP2/6-31+G** calculations were performed on the HF/6-31+G** optimized geometries. The tautomerization processes in water (=78.54) were studied using the self-consistent reaction field theory. According to our estimations, the tautomerization of NV2P and NV3P molecules are not strongly influenced by the polar solvents, the improvement of the basis set quality and the electron correlation effects in the gas phase and in water. The calculated relative free energies (ΔG) predict that 1a and 2a are the energetically preferred tautomers in the gas phase and in water.     

Interaction of Hydroxylamine with Esters of 2-Oxobutenoic Acids. Synthesis of 1-Hydroxy-3-hydroximino-2-pyrrolidinones

New 3-hydroximino-1-hydroxy-2-pyrrolidinones have been synthesized by the interaction of NH₂OH and NH₂OBn with the methyl esters of 2-oxo-3-butenoic acid derivatives. Some intermediate compounds have been isolated and identified and the reaction mechanism is discussed.     

Synthesis of new polyfunctional 2-pyrrolidinones from methyl 2-(carboethoxyhydroxymethyl)acrylate

The synthesis of new polyfunctional 2-pyrrolidinone derivatives from methyl 2-(carboethoxyhydroxymethyl)acrylate is described. These alkenes present an extremely high reactivity upon Michael addition with primary amines leading to a simple, mild, and efficient route to the preparation of new polyfunctional pyrrolidinones.     

Synthesis of cyclopropanoid 2-epi-muramyldipeptide analogues as potential immunostimulants

The preparation of cyclopropanoid 2-epi-muramyldipeptide analogues from suitable substituted cyclopropylamines is described.     

Condensation products of 1-aryl-4-hydrazinocarbonyl-2-pyrrolidinones with diketones

The reactions of 1-aryl-4-hydrazinocarbonyl-2-pyrrolidinones with 2,4-pentanedione and 2,5-hexanedione have been studied. It was found that heating the hydrazinocarbonyl compounds with 2,4-pentanedione gave 3,5-dimethylpyrazole compounds and with 2,5-hexanedione gave 1-substituted 2,5-dimethylpyrroles. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 229–232, February, 2008.     

Osmium(VI) complexes as a new class of potential anti-cancer agents

A nitridoosmium(VI) complex [Os(VI)(N)(sap)(OH(2))Cl] (H(2)sap = N-salicylidene-2-aminophenol) displays prominent in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer properties, induces S- and G2/M-phase arrest and forms a stable adduct with dianionic 5'-guanosine monophosphate.     

Phthalocyanines: a new class of G-quadruplex-ligands with many potential applications

A G-quadruplex is a four-stranded DNA structure featuring stacked guanine tetrads, G-quartets. Formation of a G-quadruplex in telomere DNA can inhibit telomerase activity; therefore, development of G-quadruplex-ligands, which induce and/or stabilize G-quadruplexes, has become an area of great interest. Phthalocyanine derivatives have substantial potential as high-affinity G-quadruplex-ligands because these planar chromophores are similar in size and shape to the G-quartets. Here, we focus on the latest findings on phthalocyanine derivatives as G-quadruplex-ligands, and discuss the mechanisms by which phthalocyanines bind to G-quadruplexes with high affinity and selectivity. We also discuss potential biomedical and organic electronic applications of phthalocyanines that are dependent on their photophysical properties.     

Isoxazolidine analogues of pseudouridine: a new class of modified nucleosides

A new class of modified C-nucleosides has been synthesized according to the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition methodology. The obtained compounds are structurally related to natural pseudouridine, where the sugar moiety is replaced by an isoxazolidine ring. Different experimental conditions, and the effect of additives on the cycloaddition process, have been examined; the best results were obtained when the cycloaddition reaction was performed under microwave irradiation     

Halogenation of 2-alkyl-2-azabicycloalkenes as a method for the synthesis of stable aziridinium salts of a new class

Addition of bromine and potassium dihaloiodates(i) to 2-alkyl-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-enes and 2-alkyl-2-azabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-5-enes affords quaternary ammonium salts containing the aziridine ring and the polyhalide anion. The possibility of using these salts for the synthesis of 6-substituted 2-alkyl-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptanes has been shown.     

Natural Polyphenols as Immunomodulators to Rescue Immune Response Homeostasis: Quercetin as a Research Model against Severe COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is caused by SARS-CoV-2 and is leading to the worst health crisis of this century. It emerged in China during late 2019 and rapidly spread all over the world, producing a broad spectrum of clinical disease severity, ranging from asymptomatic infection to death (4.3 million victims so far). Consequently, the scientific research is devoted to investigating the mechanisms of COVID-19 pathogenesis to both identify specific therapeutic drugs and develop vaccines. Although immunological mechanisms driving COVID-19 pathogenesis are still largely unknown, new understanding has emerged about the innate and adaptive immune responses elicited in SARS-CoV-2 infection, which are mainly focused on the dysregulated inflammatory response in severe COVID-19. Polyphenols are naturally occurring products with immunomodulatory activity, playing a relevant role in reducing inflammation and preventing the onset of serious chronic diseases. Mainly based on data collected before the appearance of SARS-CoV-2, polyphenols have been recently suggested as promising agents to fight COVID-19, and some clinical trials have already been approved with polyphenols to treat COVID-19. The aim of this review is to analyze and discuss the in vitro and in vivo research on the immunomodulatory activity of quercetin as a research model of polyphenols, focusing on research that addresses issues related to the dysregulated immune response in severe COVID-19. From this analysis, it emerges that although encouraging data are present, they are still insufficient to recommend polyphenols as potential immunomodulatory agents against COVID-19.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel thalidomide analogues as potential anticancer drugs

In search of novel anticancer agents, a series of thalidomide analogs （6a-j） were designed and synthesized. Cytotoxicity of these compounds against human hepatoma cells （HepG2） was evaluated by MTT method. Compounds 6d, 6h and 6i showed significant cytotoxic activities comparable to or stronger than control 5-fluorouracil.     

Poly(2-oxazoline)-Based Polyplexes as a PEG-Free Plasmid DNA Delivery Platform

The present study expands the versatility of cationic poly(2-oxazoline) (POx) copolymers as a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-free platform for gene delivery to immune cells, such as monocytes and macrophages. Several block copolymers are developed by varying nonionic hydrophilic blocks (poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (pMeOx) or poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (pEtOx), cationic blocks, and an optional hydrophobic block (poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline) (iPrOx). The cationic blocks are produced by side chain modification of 2-methoxy-carboxyethyl-2-oxazoline (MestOx) block precursor with diethylenetriamine (DET) or tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TREN). For the attachment of a targeting ligand, mannose, azide-alkyne cycloaddition click chemistry methods are employed. Of the two cationic side chains, polyplexes made with DET-containing copolymers transfect macrophages significantly better than those made with TREN-based copolymer. Likewise, nontargeted pEtOx-based diblock copolymer is more active in cell transfection than pMeOx-based copolymer. The triblock copolymer with hydrophobic block iPrOx performs poorly compared to the diblock copolymer which lacks this additional block. Surprisingly, attachment of a mannose ligand to either copolymer is inhibitory for transfection. Despite similarities in size and design, mannosylated polyplexes result in lower cell internalization compared to nonmannosylated polyplexes. Thus, PEG-free, nontargeted DET-, and pEtOx-based diblock copolymer outperforms other studied structures in the transfection of macrophages and displays transfection levels comparable to GeneJuice, a commercial nonlipid transfection reagent.     

Synthesis of novel aza analogues of 2-substituted-2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxins as potential new scaffolds for drug discovery

New synthesis approaches that have led to a series of novel aza analogues of the 2-substituted-2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxin core, bearing versatile bromomethyl group on the non aromatic oxygenated ring, are described. According to their structures these novel scaffolds can be useful intermediates for the preparation of potential new therapeutic agents.     

Design,synthesis and biological evaluation of new rhodacyanine analogues as potential antitumor agents

In an attempt to develop potent antitumor agents,new rhodacyanine analogues containing the pyridinium ring（5a-5h）,the isoquinolinium ring（6a-6c） and the quinolinium ring（7a-7e） linked to the rhodanine ring via N-N covalent bond were designed, synthesized and evaluated for antitumor activity against human lung cancer cell line（H460） by MTT assay in vitro.Most of the tested compounds showed enhanced antitumor activity with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.006 to 9.2 u,mol/L as compared to the lead compound MKT-077.Among them,the most promising compound 7d(IC₅₀ = 0.006μmol/L) was 216.7 times more active than MKT-077(IC₅₀ = 1.3μmol/L).The preliminary structure-activity relationship of the target compounds was discussed.     

Trihydroxy-2-thiaquinolizidine derivatives as a new class of bicyclic glycosidase inhibitors

Trihydroxy-2-thiaquinolizidines, a new class of bicyclic dideoxy-iminohexitol glycosidase inhibitor derivatives with nominally the d-gluco, l-ido, d-manno and l-gulo configurations were synthesized. X-ray analyses indicated that the preferred conformation for d-gluco and d-manno derivatives was a flat trans-fused system. Unlike deoxynojirimycin, the compound with d-gluco configuration was selective for α-glucosidases (yeast and rice) and showed no inhibitory activity towards β-glucosidase (almond), α-galactosidase (green coffee beans), α-galactosidase (E. coli) and α-mannosidase (jack bean), while the l-ido derivative was specific for β-glucosidase (almond).     

Reactions of aminoquinolines with unsaturated carboxylic acids. 4. Synthesis of 4-carboxy-1-quinolyl-2-pyrrolidinones

1-Quinolyl-4-carboxy-2-pyrrolidinones have been synthesized by the reaction of aminoquinolines with itaconic acid. Decyclization of the products gave 2-(quinolylaminomethyl)succinic acids.For Communication 3, see [1].Kaunus Technological University, Kaunas 3028, Lithuania Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 7, pp. 932–935, July, 2000.     

Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of botryllazine B analogues as a new class of inhibitor against human aldose reductase

Botryllazine B analogues of diverse substitution patterns have been prepared, and their in vitro inhibitory activities against recombinant human aldose reductase (h-ALR2) evaluated. Among the 15 compounds tested, 6-(4-aminophenyl)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)carbonylpyrazine (7b) proved to be the most potent inhibitor, with IC₅₀=0.91 μM. Kinetic analyses of 7b and botryllazine B (1) revealed that these inhibitors exhibit an unprecedented mixed-type inhibition on h-ALR2 with respect to the substrate d,l-glyceraldehyde, in the presence of NADPH at inhibitor concentrations near the IC₅₀ values.     

Amberlite XAD-2 functionalized with 2-aminothiophenol as a new sorbent for on-line preconcentration of cadmium and copper

A new functionalized resin has been applied in an on-line preconcentration system for copper and cadmium determination. Amberlite XAD-2 was functionalized by coupling it to 2-aminothiophenol (AT-XAD) by means of an NN spacer. This resin was packed in a minicolumn and used as sorbent in the on-line system. Metal ions were sorbed in the minicolumn, from which it could be eluted directly to the nebulizer-burner system of the flame atomic absorption spectrometer (FAAS). Elution of Cd(II) and Cu(II) from minicolumn can be made with 0.50 mol l⁻¹ HCl or HNO₃. The enrichment factors obtained were 28 (Cd) and 14 (Cu), for 60 s preconcentration time, and 74 (Cd) and 35 (Cu), if used 180 s preconcentration time. The proposed procedure allowed the determination of cadmium and copper with detection limits of 0.14 and 0.54 μg l⁻¹, respectively, when used preconcentration periods of 180 s. The effects of foreign ions on the adsorption of these metal ions are reported. The validation of the procedure was carried out by analysis of certified reference material. This procedure was applied to cadmium and copper determination in natural, drink and tap water samples.