Assay of Angiotensin I-converting Enzyme-inhibiting Activity Based on the Detection of 3-Hydroxybutyrate with Water-soluble Tetrazolium Salt.

A newly synthesized substrate, 3-hydroxybutyrylglycyl-glycyl-glycine (3HB-GGG), was applied to the assay of ACE-inhibiting activity to overcome the smaller selectivity and sensitivity of the conventional method. In this study, an ACE-inhibiting assay was improved by the use of a water-soluble tetrazolium salt, 4-[3-(4-iodophenyl)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)-2H-5-tetrazolio]-1,3-benzene disulfonate sodium salt (WST-1), for the detection of 3-hydroxybutyrate, derived from 3HB-GGG. The optimized conditions were as follows: 0.333 mM NAD(+), 0.333 mM WST-1, 0.1 mM EDTA, 0.633 U ml(-1) diaphorase, and 0.700 U ml(-1) 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase. The developed assay was efficiently applicable to evaluate the ACE-inhibiting activity of practical ACE inhibitors.     

Sensitive fluorometric detection of prostaglandins by high performance liquid chromatography after precolumn labelling with 4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulphonyl)-7-(1-piperazinyl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-PZ).

A highly sensitive and simple method for the determination of prostaglandins (PGs) by HPLC with fluorescence detection is described. PGs are converted to the corresponding fluorescence derivatives by the reaction with 4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulphonyl)-7-(1-piperazinyl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiaz ole (DBD-PZ) in the presence of 2,2'-dipyridyl disulphide and triphenyl phosphine in acetonitrile. The reaction is completed at room temperature after 30 min. The DBD derivatives of nine PGs are separated within a single 45 min chromatographic run on a reversed phase ODS column with a linear gradient elution using water and acetonitrile. The detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio of 3) calculated from the standard mixture of PGs (6-keto-F1 alpha, F1 alpha, F2 alpha, E1, E2, D2, limaprost, A1 and B1) are in the range 1.7-5.0 fmol. The applicability of the proposed procedure is evaluated to the detection of PGs added to rat plasma.     

The dynamic behaviour of a tractor-vibrating subsoiler system and the effect of the virtual hitch point

In this report, the dynamic behaviour of a tractor-vibrating subsoiler system was analysed theoretically and experimentally. From a simulation using a mathematical model of this system and some field experiments, it was determined that the Virtual Hitch Point (VHP) is the parameter that most affects the vibrations of a tractor's body. By setting the VHP at an optimal position, the acceleration of a tractor's body was reduced considerably.     

Reaction pathways of zirconocene-catalyzed silylation of alkenes with chlorosilanes

Reaction pathways as well as stereochemistries and stoichiometries of zirconocene-catalyzed silylation of olefins with chlorosilanes in the presence of ⁿBuMgCl were studied and discussed in detail. Rate determining steps were examined by kinetic studies and labeling experiments.     

Palladium-catalyzed dimerization disilylation of 1,3-butadiene with chlorosilanes

[reaction: see text] 1,3-Butadiene reacted with chlorosilanes and Grignard reagents at 20 degrees C in the presence of a catalytic amount of Pd(acac)(2) to give disilylated dimers 2 regioselectively, which have two silyl groups (R(3)Si) at the 3- and 8-positions of a 1,6-octadiene skeleton. When phenyl- or allyl-substituted chlorosilanes were used, coupling product was obtained stereo- as well as regioselectively, giving rise to only (E)-olefins. It is proposed that Pd-ate complexes play important roles in both C-Si bond-forming processes.     

Metal ion recognition via 'selective detuning'. The interaction of selected transition and post-transition metal ions with a mono-N-benzylated O2N3-donor macrocycle and its xylyl-bridged ring analogue

The interaction of cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II), zinc(II), cadmium(II), silver(I) and lead(II) with symmetrical mono-N-benzylated and xylyl-linked macrocyclic ligands derived from the O2N3-macrocycle, 1,12,15-triaza-3,4:9,10-dibenzo-5,8-dioxacycloheptadecane, has been investigated. The log K values for the respective 1 : 1 complexes in 95% methanol (I= 0.1; Et4NClO4, 25 degrees C) of the mono-benzylated derivative have been determined potentiometrically and the results compared with the values obtained previously for the parent (non-benzylated) ring system as well as for related di- and tri-benzylated macrocyclic species. Mono-benzylation results in slightly enhanced stability for the 1 : 1 silver(I) complex while the values for the corresponding complexes of the other six ions are in each case decreased even though the highest stability is still maintained for the 1 : 1 copper(II) complex. The log K results are in accord with a previous proposal that N-benzylation of amine-containing macrocyclic rings of the present type will normally have only a minor (positive or negative) influence on the affinity towards silver(I) while the corresponding binding strengths towards the remaining six metal ions are significantly reduced-behaviour we term 'selective detuning'. Competitive seven-metal transport experiments across a bulk chloroform membrane have been performed using both ligand systems as ionophores. In parallel to the log K results, transport selectivity for copper(II) was exhibited by both systems, with similar transport efficiencies being evident when compared on a 'per macrocyclic cavity' basis.     

Ni- or Cu-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of alkyl fluorides with Grignard reagents

n-Octyl fluoride underwent a cross-coupling reaction with n-propylmagnesium bromide in the presence of 1,3-butadiene using NiCl2 as a catalyst at room temperature to give undecane in moderate yields. This alkyl-alkyl cross-coupling proceeded more efficiently when CuCl2 was employed instead of NiCl2. Addition of 1,3-butadiene dramatically improved the yields of the coupling products from primary alkyl Grignard reagents in both Ni- and Cu-catalyzed reactions. Alkyl fluorides efficiently reacted with tertiary alkyl and phenyl Grignard reagents using CuCl2 in the absence of 1,3-butadiene to afford the coupling products in high yields. The competitive reaction of a mixture of alkyl halides (R-X; X = F, Cl, Br) with nC5H11MgBr showed that the reactivities of the halides increase in the order R-Cl < R-F < R-Br. In contrast, in the Cu-catalyzed reaction with PhMgBr, the reactivities increase in the order R-Cl < R-Br < R-F.