Effects of Shosaikoto (kampo medicine) on lipid metabolism in macrophages.

We investigated effects of Shosaikoto treatment on cholesterol metabolism in macrophages. Although macrophages, harvested from mice treated with Shosaikoto, took up a small amount of control low density lipoprotein (LDL) (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBA-RS) value was 0.27 pmol/mg of protein) as control macrophages, they took up more LDL modified with CuSO4 (TBA-RS value was 6.12 pmol/mg of protein) than control macrophages. Degradation of both control LDL and oxidized LDL was enhanced in Shosaikoto treated macrophages. In the presence of control LDL or in the absence of LDL, incorporation of [3H]oleic acid into chlesteryl oleate was significantly reduced in Shosaikoto treated macrophages. This suggests that acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity in macrophages was partly inhibited by Shosaikoto treatment. On the other hand, in the present of oxidized LDL, cholesteryl ester accumulated in Shosaikoto treated macrophages as much as in controls. However, cholesteryl oleate efflux from macrophages in the presence of high density lipoprotein (HDL) was enhanced in Shosaikoto treated macrophages. These result indicate that Shosaikoto facilitates oxidized LDL catabolism in macrophages, resulting in the augmentation of oxidized LDL uptake and the elimination of cholesterol from macrophages by HDL. These Shosaikoto effects may prevent foam cell formation and the progression of atherosclerotic lesions.     

Alternating copolymers consisting of arylalkyl methacrylates. I. Fluorescence properties of poly(arylalkyl methacrylate-alt-styrene) in organic solution

Alternating and random copolymers of 9-phenanthrylmethyl methacrylate or 2-(9-carbazolyl)ethyl methacrylate with styrene were synthesized and their fluorescence properties were examined. There was no noticeable difference in the spectral features of the alternating and random copolymers in tetrahydrofuran (THF), demonstrating that this type of polymers have no quenching sites in the polymer chains. The fluorescence quenching studies indicated that the alternating copolymers permitted singlet-state energy migration as efficiently as the corresponding random copolymers but less efficiently than the random copolymers with higher chromophore contents. These results strongly suggest that to be chromophores close to each other is most important for facilitation of an intramolecular energy migration. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and application of chiral bisphosphines through lithiation-conjugate addition tandem cyclization of chiral alpha,beta,psi,omega-unsaturated bisphosphine oxide

Upon treatment with lithium diisopropylamide achiral and chiral alpha,beta,psi,omega-unsaturated bisphosphine oxides underwent lithiation-conjugate addition tandem cyclization to afford the corresponding endo-alpha,beta-unsaturated cyclic bisphosphine oxides; sequential stereoselective reduction of the cyclized bisphosphine oxide gave the corresponding trans- and cis-bisphosphines that were successfully applicable in a catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation as chiral bisphosphine ligands.     

First artificial receptors and chemosensors toward phosphorylated peptide in aqueous solution

The first fluorescent chemosensors toward a native phosphorylated peptide are successfully synthesized. Dinuclear zinc(II)-dipicolylamine-based anthracene (1, 2) can selectively recognize and sense phosphorylated species with an increase in the fluorescence intensity. We also demonstrated that these artificial receptors fluorometrically detect a phosphorylated peptide with high affinity (>107 M-1) in aqueous solution.     

Facile preparation of organozinc bromides using electrogenerated highly reactive zinc and its use in cross-coupling reaction

Highly reactive zinc was readily prepared by electrolysis of a DMF solution containing pyrene as a mediator with a platinum cathode and a zinc anode. Preferential reduction of pyrene occurred to generate the corresponding radical anion, which reduced zinc ions generated from anodic dissolution to give zero valent zinc with high reactivity. The reactive zinc was successfully used for an efficient transformation of bromoalkanes into the corresponding organozinc bromides. Organozinc bromides obtained were further used successfully in Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction with various aryl iodides and bromides.     

Stereoselective E/Z photoisomerization of oxazolidinone functionalized enecarbamates: direct and triplet sensitized irradiation

Oxazolidinone-functionalized enecarbamates undergo diastereoselective E/Z photoisomerization upon direct and triplet sensitized irradiations with chiral/achiral sensitizers, showing that the enhanced product diastereoselectivity depends on the solvent and temperature.     

Recent advances of group 14 dimetallenes and dimetallynes in bond activation and catalysis

Since the first heavy alkene analogues of germanium and tin were isolated in 1976, followed by West''s disilene in 1981, the chemistry of stable group 14 dimetallenes and dimetallynes has advanced immensely. Recent developments in this field veered the focus from the isolation of novel bonding motifs to mimicking transition metals in their ability to activate small molecules and perform catalysis. The potential of these homonuclear multiply bonded compounds has been demonstrated numerous times in the activation of H₂, NH₃, CO₂ and other small molecules. Hereby, the strong relationship between structure and reactivity warrants close attention towards rational ligand design. This minireview provides an overview on recent developments in regard to bond activation with group 14 dimetallenes and dimetallynes with the perspective of potential catalytic applications of these compounds.

This minireview highlights the recent advances in small molecule activation and catalytic applications of homonuclear dimetallenes, dimetallynes and interconnected bismetallylenes of heavier group 14 elements.     

The proper structure of cubic ice confined in mesopores

To examine the reason for the formation and the structure of cubic ice in a restricted space, we measured the powder x-ray diffraction patterns of cubic ice formed within the mesopores of porous silicas as a function of pore size (4-70 nm). The results strongly suggest that cubic ice formed in the mesopores does not take a cubic structure as envisaged by Konig. It may be actually composed of very small crystallites of hexagonal ice that contains a large amount of growth faults depending on the crystallite size, that is, ice with disordered stacking sequence. Suppression of crystal growth of ice in the mesopores seems to be a vital factor for the formation and the stability of cubic ice.     

Measurements of short-lived cosmogenic nuclides in rain samples

Summary Extremely low activity levels of cosmic ray induced nuclides have been measured in freshly precipitated rainwater by quick chemical separation coupled with ultra low background gamma-spectrometry. The nuclides detected were ³⁸S (T_1/2 = 2.83 h)-³⁸Cl (37.2 m), ³⁹Cl (55.6 m), ²⁴Na (14.96 h), ²⁸Mg (20.9 h), ⁷Be (53.3 d) and ²²Na (2.602 y). The number of atoms in rain water were evaluated to be ranging from 400-1900 l^-1 for ³⁹Cl (n = 6, mean: 1200), 30-1500 l^-1 for ²⁴Na (n = 16, mean: 520), 80-600 l^-1 for ²⁸Mg (n = 13, mean: 260), 1 ^. 10⁶-4 ^. 10⁷ l^-1 for 7Be (n = 16, mean: 7 ^. 10⁶) and 2 ^. 10³-1 ^. 10⁵ l^-1 for ²²Na (n = 9, mean: 2 ^. 10⁴). Measurements of activity levels and activity ratios of short-lived cosmic-ray induced short-lived nuclides will open new method to understand atmospheric processes occurred at the altitude of rain cloud.