Vanadium-binding protein in a vanadium-rich ascidian Ascidia sydneiensissamea: CW and pulsed EPR studies

Some of the ascidians belonging to the suborder Phlebobranchia accumulate vanadium ion efficiently from seawater. Clarification of the mechanism of this surprisingly efficient metal-accumulation system is desirable. Two mutually similar vanadium-binding proteins (vanabin1 and vanabin2) have recently been isolated from a vanadium-rich ascidian Ascidia sydneiensis samea. In this study, the vanadium-binding properties of vanabin2 have been investigated by X-band CW EPR and pulsed EPR spectroscopy. CW EPR spectra of samples containing various ratios of VO2+ and vanabin2 invariably exhibited a usual mononuclear-type VO2+ EPR signal with the intensity dependent on the ratio [vanabin]/[V]. EPR titration has shown that vanabin2 can bind up to approximately 23.9 vanadium ions per one molecule, almost all of which ( approximately 84%) are in a mononuclear VO2+ state as estimated by EPR quantitation. Electron spin-echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectra of VO-vanabin2 exhibited reasonably intense peaks attributable to amine nitrogen. This is consistent with the fact that vanabin2 is a lysine-rich protein (14 lysines out of 91 amino acids). The present study reveals the uniqueness of vanabin2, which can bind a large number of metal ions in a mononuclear fashion in contrast to the situation for ferritin and metallothionein.     

Release from or through a wax matrix system. IV. Generalized expression of the release process for a reservoir device tablet

Generalization of the release process through the wax matrix layer was examined by use of a reservoir device tablet. The wax matrix layer of the reservoir device tablet was prepared from a physical mixture of lactose and hydrogenated castor oil to simplify the release properties. Release through the wax matrix layer showed zero-order kinetics in a steady state after a given lag time, and could be divided into two stages. The first stage was the formation process of water channel by dissolving the soluble component in the wax matrix layer. The lag time obtained by applying the square root law equation was well connected with the amount of the matrix layer and mixed weight ratio of components in this layer. The second stage was the zero-order release process of drug in the reservoir through the wax matrix layer, because the effective surface area was fixed. The release rate constants were connected with thickness of the matrix layer and permeability coefficient, and the permeability coefficients were connected with the diffusion coefficient of drug and porosity. Hence the release rate constant could be connected with the amount of matrix layer and the mixed weight ratio of components in the matrix layer. It was therefore suggested that the release process could be generalized using the amount of matrix layer and the mixed weight ratio of components in the matrix layer.     

Pharmacokinetics of caffeine and its metabolites in horses after intravenous, intramuscular or oral administration.

The pharmacokinetics of caffeine (CAF) and its metabolites, dimethylxanthines, were examined in horses administered 2.5 mg/kg of CAF intravenously (i.v.), intramusculary (i.m.), or orally (p.o.). The plasma samples were extracted by Extrelut and the concentrations of CAF and metabolites were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a short column. The pharmacokinetics of CAF after bolus i.v. injection were described by the assumption of a two-compartment model, and those of CAF after i.m. or p.o. administration were done by the assumption of a one-compartment model. The biologic half lives of CAF were 15.5, 18.6, and 16.4 h after administering i.v., i.m. and p.o., respectively. The extent of the bioavailability of the p.o. administration was determined as 1.04 times the dose. The differences in pharmacokinetic parameters were not statistically significant among administration routes. A straight correlation existed between the logarithms of body weights of different species of animals and those of their biologic half lives of CAF. Therefore, the biologic half life of CAF in an animal might be predictable as a function of its body weight.     

Structure of YM-254890, a Novel Gq/11 Inhibitor from Chromobacterium sp. QS3666

The isolation and structure elucidation of YM-254890, a novel G_q/11 inhibitor from Chromobacterium sp. QS3666, is described. The gross structure was determined by one- and two-dimensional NMR studies and mass spectrometry. YM-254890 is a cyclic depsipeptide containing uncommon amino acids; β-hydroxyleucine (two residues), N,O-dimethylthreonine and N-methyldehydroalanine. YM-254890 exists as a mixture of two conformers in a variety of NMR solvents, and the distinction between major and minor conformers appears to lie in the geometry of the amide bond between 3-phenyllactic acid and N-methyldehydroalanine. The absolute stereochemistery was elucidated by Marfey's analysis and chiral HPLC analysis of the acid hydrolysate of YM-254890.     

Photocrosslinking of poly(2,3-epithiopropyl methacrylate) by the oxidation of pendant episulfide groups

In the photocrosslinking of poly(2,3-epithiopropyl methacrylate) (PETMA) films the effect of the pendant episulfide group's oxidation on the crosslinking of PETMA was investigated. Thermal crosslinking of PETMA is promoted by peroxides such as benzoyl peroxide and hydrogen peroxide. IR spectrum of the crosslinked PETMA showed that the reaction proceeded through the oxidation of episulfide groups by the peroxides. The anthracene (An) sensitized photocrosslinking of PETMA films also proceeded via the oxidation of episulfide groups by singlet oxygen. It was found that residual tetrahydrofuran (THF) in the films remarkably increased the rate of the photocrosslinking and/or reduced the induction period. From the further investigation concerning casting solvents it was found that residual CS₂, CCl₄, and CHCl₃ in films increased the rate of the photocrosslinking and/or reduced the induction period of the photocrosslinking. The disappearance rate of An in the films was also increased by the presence of residual CS₂, CCl₄, and CHCl₃, differring from the result of THF. These results were explained by a difference in lifetime of singlet oxygen in the films. From the results were explained by a difference in lifetime of singlet oxygen in the films. From the results concerning the effects of hydroperoxides such as THF hydroperoxide and t-butyl hydroperoxide on the photocrosslinking of PETMA films the acceleration effect of the residual THF was deduced to be due to the promotion of singlet oxygen-oxidation of sulfide groups by protic compounds such as THF hydroperoxide and H₂O in the THF.     

Analysis of phenothiazines in human body fluids using disk solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography

Seven phenothiazine derivatives, perazine, perphenazine, prochlorperazine, propericiazine, thioproperazine, trifluoperazine, and flupentixol, have been found to be extractable from human plasma and urine samples using disk solid-phase extraction (SPE) with an Empore C18 cartridge. Human plasma and urine (1 mL each) containing the 7 phenothiazine derivatives were mixed with 2 mL of 0.1M NaOH and 7 mL distilled water and then poured into the disk SPE cartridges. The drugs were eluted with 1 mL chloroform- acetonitrile (8 + 2) and determined by liquid chromatography with ammonium formate/formic acid-acetonitrile gradient elution. The detection was performed by ultraviolet absorption at 250 nm. The separation of the 7 phenothiazine derivatives from each other and from impurities was generally satisfactory using a SymmetryShield RP8 column (150 x 2.1 mm id, 3.5 microm particle size). The recoveries of the 7 phenothiazine derivatives spiked into plasma and urine samples were 64.0-89.9% and 65.1-92.1%, respectively. Regression equations for the 7 phenothiazine derivatives showed excellent linearity, with detection limits of 0.021-0.30 microg/mL for plasma and 0.017-0.30 microg/mL for urine. The within-day and day-to-day coefficients of variation for both samples were commonly below 9.0 and 14.9%, respectively.     

2 alpha-(3-hydroxypropyl)- and 2 alpha-(3-hydroxypropoxy)-1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 accessible to vitamin D receptor mutant related to hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets

Hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets (HVDRR) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the vitamin D receptor, which lead to resistance to 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3)]. We found that the A ring-modified analogues, 2alpha-(3-hydroxypropyl)- and 2alpha-(3-hydroxypropoxy)-1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3), (O1C3 and O2C3) can bind better than the natural hormone to the mutant VDR (R274A), which similar to the HVDRR mutant, R274L, had lost the hydrogen bond to the 1alpha-hydroxyl group of 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3).     

Colominic acid: a novel chiral selector for capillary electrophoresis of basic drugs

Capillary zone electrophoresis was used for characterising nine samples of natural organic matter (NOM) using phosphate buffer (25 mM, pH 7) and various modifiers; methanol (50 mM), acetonitrile (10%,v/v), dimethyl sulfoxide (5%,v/v), and urea (5 M). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to examine whether the electrophoretic profiles can be utilised as fingerprints for tracing the NOM samples to their source and/or type of location. It was found that all modifiers except methanol affect the electropherograms. Furthermore, it was found that the PCA analysis carried out on the electrophoretic profiles recorded in buffer solution modified by urea gave the best results for fingerprinting. The distribution of the fingerprints suggests a model for the humic substances in which all samples can be regarded as mixtures between two endmembers: autochtonous and allocthoneous NOM.     

Dual-mode electrochromism switched by proton transfer: dynamic redox properties of bis(diarylmethylenium)-type dyes

Upon oxidative dimerization of pale yellow Ar2C=CHPh 1 (Ar = 4-Me2NC6H4), deep blue 1,4-dication 2(2+) was obtained as a stable salt, which was transformed into 1 by reductive C-C bond fission; deprotonation of 2(2+) gave intense yellow diene 3, which was interconvertible with violet dication 4(2+) by two-electron transfer, thus exhibiting two distinct modes of electrochromism before and after proton transfer.