The effect of staurosporine on Ca2+ signals in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells

We examined the effect of staurosporine on cytosolic calcium response in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells using fura-2 as a fluorescent indicator of calcium ion. Staurosporine at a dose of 30 nM inhibited antigen-stimulated Ca2(+)-influx into the cells from the extracellular environment. In contrast, the drug at this concentration inhibited neither the mobilization of Ca2+ from intracellular stores nor inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) formation. At a high concentration (300 nM), however, staurosporine completely inhibited the cytosolic calcium responses as well as IP3 formation. These results indicate that staurosporine, if used at an appropriate concentration, can be used to discriminate Ca2(+)-influx from extracellular environment from mobilization of the ion from intracellular stores. These results also suggest that protein kinases, possibly protein kinase C, are involved in the calcium influx of RBL-2H3 cells from the extracellular environment. Serotonin release was strongly inhibited by the drug at 30 nM staurosporine. Since the inhibition of serotonin release and suppression of cytosolic calcium increase in response to the antigen were in parallel, we concluded that the inhibition of serotonin release from RBL-2H3 cells caused by the drug was elicited by the suppression of Ca2(+)-influx into the cells.     

Synthesis of chiral 3-substituted gamma-lactones and 9-furanosyladenine from (R)-2-(2,2-diethoxyethyl)-1,3-propanediol monoacetate prepared by lipase-catalyzed reaction

A chiral building block, (R)-2-(2,2-diethoxyethyl)-1,3-propanediol monoacetate was synthesized in high optical and chemical yields by lipase-catalyzed transesterification. From this compound, we synthesized chiral 3-substituted gamma-lactones and a new nucleoside with antiviral activity.     

MALDI TOF mass study on oligomerization of Pd(OAc)2(L)2 (L = pyridine derivatives): relevance to Pd black formation in Pd-catalyzed air oxidation of alcohols

[reaction: see text] Oligomerization of Pd(OAc)2(L)2 (L = pyridine derivatives), a catalyst for the air oxidation of alcohols, is studied with MALDI TOF mass, using dithranol as the matrix. The degree of the Pd oligomerization is influenced by the pyridine ligands, and this ligand effect is similar to one observed for Pd black formation in the catalysis.     

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.     

Reduction of 2,3,5-trimethyl-6-(3-pyridylmethyl)-1,4-benzoquinone by PB-3c cells and biological activity of its hydroquinone

2,3,5-Trimethyl-6-(3-pyridylmethyl)-1,4-benzoquinone (CV-6504) has inhibitory activities on both thromboxane A2 synthase and 5-lipoxygenase as well as scavenging activity against active oxygen species. The latter two activities are closely related to the quinone moiety, which is reduced to a hydroquinone in the living body. Comparison of these two activities for both the quinone and hydroquinone showed that the hydroquinone form had superior activities. Concerning the reduction mechanism by PB-3c cells we can see that superoxide dismutase (SOD) has no influence on the rate of reduction, but dicumarol almost completely inhibits the reduction at a concentration greater than 1 x 10(-6) M. Therefore, it can be concluded that CV-6504 is reduced mainly by two electron donating enzymes without the intermediary of a semiquinone radical and that the resulting hydroquinone inhibits lipid peroxidation as well as 5-lipoxygenase activity.     

Pyrimidine derivatives. VI. Synthesis of mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrabromo-substituted pyrimidine derivatives

The following bromo-2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinediones possessing a bromo substituent at the 5-position and side chains at the 1- and 6-positions were prepared. The three types of mono-bromo derivatives are: 1-(bromoalkyl)-3,6-dimethyl- 3a-d , 5-bromo-3,6-dimethyl-1-(hydroxyalkyl)- 4a-d , and 1-(acetoxyalkyl)-5-bromo-3,6-dimethyl-2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinediones 11a-d . The three types of dibromo derivatives are: 5-bromo-1-(bromoalkyl)-3,6-dimethyl- Sa-d , 1-(acetoxyalkyl)-5-bromo-6-bromomethyl- 8a, 8c , and 8d , and 5-bromo-6-bromomethyl 1-(hydroxyalkyl)-2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinediones 9a, 9c , and 9d . Likewise one group of tribromo and one group of tetrabromo derivatives are: 5-bromo-1-(bromoalkyl)-6-bromomethyl -7a-d and 5-bromo-1-(bromoalkyl)-6-dibromomethyl-2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinediones 6a-d .     

1H to 2H uniform cross-polarization nuclear magnetic resonance using 2H Lee-Goldburg irradiation in static powders

Application of conventional cross polarization (CP) to (2)H results in only a narrowband enhancement of the powder line shape due to the quadrupole interaction. We propose a CP scheme to uniformly enhance (2)H spectra in static powders. In this method, a Hartmann-Hahn matched (2)H rf field is applied on the Lee-Goldburg (LG) condition to remove the zeroth-order quadrupole interaction. In order to achieve a uniformly enhanced (2)H powder line shape with a limited (2)H rf intensity, the (1)H rf amplitude in CP is stepwise altered during the contact time. We develop a spin-thermodynamic theory to describe polarization transfer due to CP with LG irradiation (LG-CP) under the influence of the quadrupole interaction, which can successfully reproduce the LG-CP line shapes observed under various experimental conditions. Experimental and simulated (2)H powder spectra are reported for some compounds.     

Stereocontrolled synthesis of beta-difluoromethylated materials

Investigation of synthetic routes for regio- and stereocontrolled fluorinated materials with a difluoromethyl group, using ethyl bromodifluoroacetate as a starting material, is described. In particular, (E)-difluoromethylated trisubstituted olefins were prepared via the proton migration reaction catalyzed by using fluoride anion. Further, optically active beta-difluoromethyl esters were obtained by the enzymatic resolution.     

Radical-mediated hydroxyalkylation of α,β-unsaturated esters

The radical-mediated hydroxyalkylation of α,β-unsaturated esters with alkyl iodides, trialkylborane, water and KF in THF gave the corresponding α-hydroxy esters. The synthetic advantage of the method was demonstrated by a short-step total synthesis of (±)-tanikolide.     

Synthetic study of diversifolin: the construction of 11-oxabicyclo[6.2.1]undec-3-ene core using ring-closing metathesis

Stereoselective synthesis of a potential intermediate bearing 11-oxabicyclo[6.2.1]undec-3-ene core, a common scaffold of biologically active germacrane-type sesquiterpenes, has been achieved. Synthetic features involve formal 1,3-asymmetric induction, unusual ring-closing metathesis constructing a 10-membered carbocycle system, and unique lactone transposition.