Total syntheses of epothilones B and d

A convergent, total synthesis of epothilones B (2) and D (4) is described. The key steps are Normant coupling to establish the desired (Z)-stereochemistry at C12-C13, Wadsworth-Emmons olefination of methyl ketone 28 with the phosphonate ester 8, diastereoselective aldol condensation of aldehyde 5 with the enolate of keto acid derivatives to form the C6-C7 bond, selective deprotection of acid 52, and macrolactonization.     

Identification of New Non-BBB Permeable Tryptophan Hydroxylase Inhibitors for Treating Obesity and Fatty Liver Disease

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptophan) is a hormone that regulates emotions in the central nervous system. However, serotonin in the peripheral system is associated with obesity and fatty liver disease. Because serotonin cannot cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), we focused on identifying new tryptophan hydroxylase type I (TPH1) inhibitors that act only in peripheral tissues for treating obesity and fatty liver disease without affecting the central nervous system. Structural optimization inspired by para-chlorophenylalanine (pCPA) resulted in the identification of a series of oxyphenylalanine and heterocyclic phenylalanine derivatives as TPH1 inhibitors. Among these compounds, compound 18i with an IC₅₀ value of 37 nM was the most active in vitro. Additionally, compound 18i showed good liver microsomal stability and did not significantly inhibit CYP and Herg. Furthermore, this TPH1 inhibitor was able to actively interact with the peripheral system without penetrating the BBB. Compound 18i and its prodrug reduced body weight gain in mammals and decreased in vivo fat accumulation.     

Tomatidine-stimulated maturation of human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for modeling mitochondrial dysfunction

Human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) have been reported to exhibit immature embryonic or fetal cardiomyocyte-like phenotypes. To enhance the maturation of hESC-CMs, we identified a natural steroidal alkaloid, tomatidine, as a new substance that stimulates the maturation of hESC-CMs. Treatment of human embryonic stem cells with tomatidine during cardiomyocyte differentiation stimulated the expression of several cardiomyocyte-specific markers and increased the density of T-tubules. Furthermore, tomatidine treatment augmented the number and size of mitochondria and enhanced the formation of mitochondrial lamellar cristae. Tomatidine treatment stimulated mitochondrial functions, including mitochondrial membrane potential, oxidative phosphorylation, and ATP production, in hESC-CMs. Tomatidine-treated hESC-CMs were more sensitive to doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity than the control cells. In conclusion, the present study suggests that tomatidine promotes the differentiation of stem cells to adult cardiomyocytes by accelerating mitochondrial biogenesis and maturation and that tomatidine-treated mature hESC-CMs can be used for cardiotoxicity screening and cardiac disease modeling.Subject terms: Heart failure, Embryonic stem cells, Stem-cell differentiation     

Dynamic synovial fibroblasts are modulated by NBCn1 as a potential target in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by aggressive fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) and pannus formation. Various therapeutic strategies have been developed against inflammatory cytokines in RA in recent decades. Based on the migratory features of FLSs, we examined whether modulation of the migratory module attenuates RA severity. In this study, inflamed synovial fluid-stimulated FLSs exhibited enhanced migration and migratory apparatus expression, and sodium bicarbonate cotransporter n1 (NBCn1) was identified in primary cultured RA-FLSs for the first time. The NBC inhibitor S0859 attenuated the migration of FLSs induced with synovial fluid from patients with RA or with TNF-α stimulation. Inhibition of NBCs with S0859 in a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model reduced joint swelling and destruction without blood, hepatic, or renal toxicity. Primary FLSs isolated from the CIA-induced mouse model also showed reduced migration in the presence of S0859. Our results suggest that inflammatory mediators in synovial fluid, including TNF-α, recruit NBCn1 to the plasma membrane of FLSs to provide dynamic properties and that modulation of NBCn1 could be developed into a therapeutic strategy for RA.Subject terms: Chemotaxis, Bone, Ion channel signalling, Rheumatoid arthritis, Drug development     

Curing temperature- and concentration-dependent dielectric properties of cross-linked poly-4-vinylphenol (PVP)

In this paper, dielectric properties of various thick PVP films cured at temperatures between 125° C and 200 °C are investigated. The thicknesses of PVP films are adjusted by varying their concentration in PGMEA solvent from 10 wt% to 2.5 wt%. Through FT-IR, C–V, SEM, and AFM analyses, the optimum curing process temperatures (150 °C for 10 wt% and 7.5 wt% samples, and 175 °C for 5 wt% samples) where PET substrates can be thermally endured are proposed in terms of their low hysteresis voltage in the C–V curve (1–2 V in 10 wt% samples, below 1 V in 7.5 wt% samples, and 0.5 V in 5 wt% samples).     

Non-linear modeling and dynamic analysis of hydraulic control valve; effect of a decision factor between experiment and numerical simulation

Numerical problems that are usually ignored in the dynamic analysis of hydraulic control valves are described, and an analysis of the effects of such problems on the numerical modeling is provided. Previous studies have ignored the effects of changes in the flow coefficient in the orifice, the solenoid force along the spool movement in the valve and an ascending tendency of pressure during reach to the steady state. To eliminate these problems, it was studied a method to substantiate the non-linearity of the pressure loss caused by passing between the orifice and port as well as that caused by interaction with the solenoid. Moreover, the movement of the spool and spring is expressed using the time-delay-element (TDE). The proposed numerical model has been used in the Bond graphs method of a hydraulic control valve and the simulation results have been shown to be accurate. It is known that differences between simulated and experimental results can have a considerable impact on the function of actual systems. The contribution of each parameter is measured separately for the transient state and steady state. Analysis standard observed the first peak value, pressure increase to the steady state and the settling time in the response results.