Alkaline Hydrolytic Pathway of the Antitumor Drug,Cyclophosphamide

Abstract

In an attempt to clarify the alkaline hydrolytic pathway of the antitumor agent, cyclophosphamide (CP), the time course of its degradation was monitored by ³¹P NMR in 0.5 M KOH solution. After 16 hr at 25°C. 70% of CP is hydrolyzed (t_½ 9 hr) leading to a mixture of 8 phosphorated compounds. among them only 4 represented more than 5% of the initial CP. The chemical shifts and the intensities of these compounds were as follows: 1 1 .1 ppm. 30% of the initial CP (compound 1); 9.5 ppm, 12% (compound 2); 6.4 ppm, 9% (unknown) and 4.8 ppm, 9% (compound 3). The structures of compounds 1–3 were identified by NMR (13C and IH) and mass spectrometry after their isolation. The major degradation compound formed, the nine-membered ring compound I, was also observed during CP hydrolysis at neutral or moderately acid pHsill and was detected in urine of patients treated with CP[2] Compounds 2 and 3 were also formed during the hydrolysis of compound I in 0.5 M KOH solution. Based on the formation in time of the 31P NMR signals in KOH solutions of CP and compound I, the following scheme was established for the major degradation alkaline pathway of CP.     

Alkaline Hydrolysis of the Cytostatic Drug,Ifosfamide, and its N-Dechloroethylated Metabolites

Abstract

I fosfamide (IF) is an alkylating antitumor agent used in the treatment of solid tumors. Up to 50% of IF administered to patients undergoes an oxidative N-dealkylation reaction resulting in the loss or one, other or both chloroethyl side chain(s) to produce 2- or 3-dechloioethylIF (ZDCIF, 3DCIF) or 2,3-didechloroethyllF (DDCIF). The hydrolytic pathway of these four oxazaphosphorines has been studied earlier but only at acidic and neutral pHs^[l] In the present work, we monitored their time courses of hydrolysis at basic pHs using phosphorus-3 1 NMR. The structures of the compounds formed were determined by NMR (13C and 1H) and mass spectrometry. The results are reported in the following scheme.     

Influence of pH and Salt on the Photocrosslinking in Polyelectrolyte Thymine‐Containing Films

Photocrosslinking of thymine‐based water‐soluble polymer films was investigated at varying preparation conditions. Adding salt or decreasing the pH of the solution from which the films were cast resulted in the decreased efficiency of photoimmobilization, while increasing the pH was found to increase the photoimmobilization efficiency. A mechanistic rationale for the observed effects is proposed.     

Sodium ibuprofen dihydrate and anhydrous

(R,S)-(±)-ibuprofen sodium salt (racemate) dihydrate (SID) was dehydrated and the physicochemical properties of SID and the anhydrous forms (SIA) were compared by different analytical techniques (scanning electron microscopy, helium pychnometry, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffractometry). The dehydration of SID, followed by thermogravimetry in isothermal conditions, allowed to calculate the activation energy of the dehydration process and to predict the mechanism of dehydration. Dehydration occurred in one step and the activation energy was rather low, indicating the ease of water removal from the crystal. The mechanism of dehydration followed a three dimensional diffusion (Jander equation). Similarly to the dehydration, the hydration process was followed under isothermal conditions by exposing the anhydrous powder at 64% RH at different temperatures. The mechanism of hydration was governed by a two dimensional diffusion and the energy associated to the process was very low, indicating the ease of crystal hydration. The driving force for the hydration is higher than that for the dehydration. From a thermodynamic point of view this fact may explain why the hydrated form is more stable than the anhydrous one. Solubilities, determined at different temperatures in water and in phosphate buffer (pH 6.8), showed that SID is more soluble in water than SIA for temperatures higher than approximately 283 K. On the contrary, in phosphate buffer SIA is always more soluble than SID in the temperature range considered for the experiments. Drug release reflects the solubility in water and phosphate buffer previously reported.     

Putative palytoxin and its new analogue,ovatoxin-a,in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ostreopsis ovata</Emphasis> collected along the ligurian coasts during the 2006 toxic outbreak

In this article we report on the liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) investigation of plankton samples collected in the summer of 2006 along the Ligurian coasts, coinciding with a massive bloom of the tropical microalga Ostreopsis ovata. LC-MS analyses indicated the occurrence of putative palytoxin along with a much more abundant palytoxin-like compound never reported so far, which we named ovatoxin-a. On the basis of molecular formula, fragmentation pattern, and chromatographic behavior, the structure of ovatoxin-a appeared to be strictly related to that of palytoxin. We report also on the analysis of cultured O. ovata, which was necessary to unequivocally demonstrate that putative palytoxin and ovatoxin-a contained in field samples were actually produced by O. ovata itself.     

Blue-emitting mesoporous films prepared via incorporation of luminescent Schiff base zinc(II) complex

Highly fluorescent materials have been prepared by incorporation of a zinc complex in mesoporous silica thin films with ordered pore structure. The zinc complex has been introduced into the mesoporous materials via impregnation in an ethanol solution. The incorporation into the films has been monitored by UV–Vis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. After 18 h of immersion in the doping solution the films showed strong blue emission, increase in the refractive index. Leaching experiments performed by immersing the samples in ethanol or tetrahydrofuran have shown that the chromophore is retained in the porous matrix.

蓖麻油酸甲酯乙氧基化物水溶液的动态表面张力

用最大气泡压力法分别测定了不同环氧乙烷(EO)加合数(10、12、14、16、20)的蓖麻油酸甲酯乙氧基化物(ECAME)水溶液的动态表面张力(DST)。考察了浓度、温度和无机电解质对DST的影响,探讨了不同浓度时DST参数(动态表面张力特性参数n,平衡时间t^*,曲线最大斜率R_1/2)的变化规律。结果表明,随着EO数由10增加到20,DST不断增大;随着浓度由0.5×10^-5 mol/L增加到10×10^-5 mol/L,n由3.02减小到1.05,t^*值由14.45减小到2.29,R_1/2由0.43增大到6.44,则动态表面活性增大,DST降低;随着温度由25 ℃升高至45 ℃,DST降低;吸附初期DST曲线随无机电解质浓度的增大而升高,吸附后期DST曲线随无机电解质浓度的增大而降低。和常规的脂肪酸甲酯乙氧基化物(FMEE)相比,ECAME的动态表面活性更加优异,这为开拓ECAME的应用指明了新的方向。     

The bovine basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz inhibitor): a milestone protein

The pancreatic Kunitz inhibitor, also known as aprotinin, bovine basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI), and trypsin-kallikrein inhibitor, is one of the most extensively studied globular proteins. It has proved to be a particularly attractive and powerful tool for studying protein conformation as well as molecular bases of protein/protein interaction(s) and (macro)molecular recognition. BPTI has a relatively broad specificity, inhibiting trypsin- as well as chymotrypsin- and elastase-like serine (pro)enzymes endowed with very different primary specificity. BPTI reacts rapidly with serine proteases to form stable complexes, but the enzyme: inhibitor complex formation may involve several intermediates corresponding to discrete reaction steps. Moreover, BPTI inhibits the nitric oxide synthase type-I and -II action and impairs K+ transport by Ca2+-activated K+ channels. Clinically, the use of BPTI in selected surgical interventions, such as cardiopulmonary surgery and orthotopic liver transplantation, is advised, as it significantly reduces hemorrhagic complications and thus blood-transfusion requirements. Here, the structural, inhibition, and bio-medical aspects of BPTI are reported.     

Interfacial Compatibilization into PLA/Mg Composites for Improved In Vitro Bioactivity and Stem Cell Adhesion

The present work highlights the crucial role of the interfacial compatibilization on the design of polylactic acid (PLA)/Magnesium (Mg) composites for bone regeneration applications. In this regard, an amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide-b-L,L-lactide) diblock copolymer with predefined composition was synthesised and used as a new interface to provide physical interactions between the metallic filler and the biopolymer matrix. This strategy allowed (i) overcoming the PLA/Mg interfacial adhesion weakness and (ii) modulating the composite hydrophilicity, bioactivity and biological behaviour. First, a full study of the influence of the copolymer incorporation on the morphological, wettability, thermal, thermo-mechanical and mechanical properties of PLA/Mg was investigated. Subsequently, the bioactivity was assessed during an in vitro degradation in simulated body fluid (SBF). Finally, biological studies with stem cells were carried out. The results showed an increase of the interfacial adhesion by the formation of a new interphase between the hydrophobic PLA matrix and the hydrophilic Mg filler. This interface stabilization was confirmed by a decrease in the damping factor (tanδ) following the copolymer addition. The latter also proves the beneficial effect of the composite hydrophilicity by selective surface localization of the hydrophilic PEO leading to a significant increase in the protein adsorption. Furthermore, hydroxyapatite was formed in bulk after 8 weeks of immersion in the SBF, suggesting that the bioactivity will be noticeably improved by the addition of the diblock copolymer. This ceramic could react as a natural bonding junction between the designed implant and the fractured bone during osteoregeneration. On the other hand, a slight decrease of the composite mechanical performances was noted.