Chiral analyses of dextromethorphan/levomethorphan and their metabolites in rat and human samples using LC-MS/MS

In order to develop an analytical method for the discrimination of dextromethorphan (an antitussive medicine) from its enantiomer, levomethorphan (a narcotic) in biological samples, chiral analyses of these drugs and their O-demethyl and/or N-demethyl metabolites in rat plasma, urine, and hair were carried out using LC-MS/MS. After the i.p. administration of dextromethorphan or levomethorphan to pigmented hairy male DA rats (5 mg/kg/day, 10 days), the parent compounds and their three metabolites in plasma, urine and hair were determined using LC-MS/MS. Complete chiral separation was achieved in 12 min on a Chiral CD-Ph column in 0.1% formic acid–acetonitrile by a linear gradient program. Most of the metabolites were detected as being the corresponding O-demethyl and N, O-didemethyl metabolites in the rat plasma and urine after the hydrolysis of O-glucuronides, although obvious differences in the amounts of these metabolites were found between the dextro and levo forms. No racemation was observed through O- and/or N-demethylation. In the rat hair samples collected 4 weeks after the first administration, those differences were more clearly detected and the concentrations of the parent compounds, their O-demethyl, N-demethyl, and N, O-didemethyl metabolites were 63.4, 2.7, 25.1, and 0.7 ng/mg for the dextro forms and 24.5, 24.6, 2.6, and 0.5 ng/mg for the levo forms, respectively. In order to fully investigate the differences of their metabolic properties between dextromethorphan and levomethorphan, DA rat and human liver microsomes were studied. The results suggested that there might be an enantioselective metabolism of levomethorphan, especially with regard to the O-demethylation, not only in DA rat but human liver microsomes as well. The proposed chiral analyses might be applied to human samples and could be useful for discriminating dextromethorphan use from levomethorphan use in the field of forensic toxicology, although further studies should be carried out using authentic human samples.     

Tigloylshikonin, a new minor Shikonin derivative, from the roots and the commercial root extract of lithospermum erythrorhizon

Tigloylshikonin, a new shikonin derivative esterified with tiglic acid ((E)-2-methylbut-2-enoic acid), was isolated as a minor pigment from a food colorant "Shikon color," a commercial root extract from Lithospermum erythrorhizon SIEBOLD et ZUCCARINI. The structure of tigloylshikonin was elucidated using (1)H, (13)C, the difference nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE), and 2D NMR techniques. Its stereochemistry was determined by chiral-phase HPLC analysis. Tigloylshikonin was also found in the roots of L. erythrorhizon, which indicated that this new shikonin derivative is a typical component of naphthoquinone pigments in the roots of L. erythrorhizon.     

Polycyclic N‐heterocyclic compounds,part 67: Reaction of 6,7‐substituted N‐(quinazolin‐4‐yl)amidine derivatives with hydroxylamine hydrochloride: Formation of in vitro inhibitors of pentosidine

Reactions of N‐(quinazolin‐4‐yl)amidines and their amide oximes with hydroxylamine hydrochloride gave cyclization products that were formed by an initial ring cleavage of the pyrimidine component followed by a ring closure formation of 1,2,4‐oxadiazole to give N‐[2‐([1,2,4]oxadiazol‐5‐yl)phenyl]formamide oximes. All isolated products were evaluated for in vitro inhibitory activity on the formation of pentosidine, which is one of representative advanced glycation end products. Some products exhibited significant inhibitory activity against pentosidine formation. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011).     

Analysis of repeated impacts on a steel rod with visco-plastic material behavior

In machine dynamics impacts are usually common phenomena, resulting from collisions of moving bodies. Even low velocity impacts might produce high stresses in the contact region, which result in inelastic deformation. Thereby, visco-plastic materials, such as steel, show a significant increase of the yield stress with the strain rate. In machine dynamics repeated collisions occur, resulting in repeated impacts on a previously deformed contact area. Then, inelastic deformation and the resulting residual stresses produced by previous impacts have an influence on the behavior of the following impacts. Thus, the impact behavior varies with the number of impacts. This paper presents a numerical and experimental evaluation of repeated impacts with identical impact velocity up to 3 m/s, whereby the deformation history of the contact area, due to previous impacts, is included. The approach is applied to longitudinal impacts of an elastic steel sphere on a steel rod with distinct visco-plastic material behavior which is identified by Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar tests. A Finite Element analysis and experimental verification using two Laser-Doppler-Vibrometers are performed. It is shown that for an accurate impact simulation the FE model must include the visco-plastic material behavior of the steel. Further it is found that the maximal contact force, the rebound velocity and the coefficient of restitution increase with the number of impacts, while the contact duration decreases with the number of impacts. After several impacts these quantities show saturation to a constant value, indicating no significant additional inelastic deformation in the later impacts. Further, the residual stress distribution, the maximal von Mises stress distribution and the local deformation at the contact point are evaluated and a characteristic force-deformation diagram is obtained. Finally, an analysis is performed to describe the relation between maximal force and remaining crater at the contact point.     

Integration by Parts Formulae for Wiener Measures on a Path Space between two Curves

This paper is concerned with the integration by parts formulae for the pinned or the standard Wiener measures restricted on a space of paths staying between two curves. The boundary measures, concentrated on the set of paths touching one of the curves once, are specified. Our approach is based on the polygonal approximations. In particular, to establish the convergence of boundary terms, a uniform estimate is derived by means of comparison argument for a sequence of random walks conditioned to stay between two polygons. Applying the Brascamp–Lieb inequality, the stochastic integrals of Wiener type are constructed relative to the three-dimensional Bessel bridge or the Brownian meander. Supported in part by the JSPS Grant (B)(1)14340029     

AnN-person noncooperative discounted vector-valued dynamic game with a metric space

AnN-person noncooperative discounted vector-valued game with a metric space is investigated. We define aD-convex equilibrium point and prove that aD-convex equilibrium point exists in this game system. A modified version of the original game system is formulated so that an equilibrium point of the modified version is aD-convex equilibrium point of the original game system. Under appropriate conditions, the converse holds in the sense that aD-convex equilibrium point is also an equilibrium point of the modified game system.     

Synthesis and properties of π‐conjugated dithiafulvene oligomers by addition of a monofunctionalized compound

Dithiafulvene oligomers ( 3 ) were prepared by cycloaddition polymerization of aldothioketenes with their alkynethiol tautomers derived from 1,4‐diethynylbenzene ( 2 ) with the addition of 1‐ethynyl‐4‐methylbenzene ( 1 ) as a monofunctionalized compound. Different feed ratios of 2 / 1 were used to control the molecular weights of 3 . The structures of 3 were confirmed by IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopies in comparison with those of 2‐(4‐tolylidene)‐4‐tolyl‐1,3‐dithiol ( 4 ) as a model compound, which was obtained by the treatment of lithium 2‐tolylethynethiolate with water in Et₂O. The number‐average degree of polymerization (DP) and the number‐average molecular weight were measured by gel permeation chromatographic and ¹H NMR analysis. DP increased with an increasing feed ratio of 2 / 1 . The ultraviolet–visible spectra of 3 in diluted acetonitrile showed that the absorption maxima of 3 increased with an increasing DP of 3 . These redshifts are ascribed to an effective expansion of the π‐conjugation system in 3 . The oligomers exhibited a maximum conjugation length of seven repeating units. The redox properties of 3 were examined by cyclic voltammetry. The oxidation half‐peak potentials (E_p/2) of 3 were slightly cathodically shifted with increasing DP. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 708–715, 2003     

Thickening of crystals during rapid heating. II. Crosslinked polyethylene and methoxymethylated nylon 6

The effect of modification of polymer chains on crystal thickening during heating was investigated with an apparatus devised for rapid measurement of small-angle x-ray diffraction. Thickening of crystals still occurred even at a heating rate of 18°C/min in polyethylene irradiated with gamma ray doses of 30–300 Mrad, and the melting point was depressed. These results showed that the melting point depression due to irradiation is not due to a restriction on crystal thickening but rather to crystal lattice distortion. On the other hand, although methoxymethylation of nylon 6 completely inhibits crystal thickening, the melting point increases or decreases depending on the temperature of annealing preceding methoxymethylation. From these results we are led to conclude that irradiation and methoxymethylation are not effective means of obtaining the relation between melting point and crystal thickness.