Vinyl sulfones in solid-phase synthesis: preparation of 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoindole derivatives

The preparation of functionalized 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoindole via a traceless solid-phase sulfone linker strategy is described. Thermolytic extrusion of SO(2) from polymer-bound 3-(phenylsulfonyl)-3-sulfolene (7) generated polymer-bound 2-(phenylsulfonyl)-1,3-butadiene (9) in situ which underwent Diels--Alder cycloaddition with various dienophiles to furnish vinyl sulfone resins 10-14. To complete a traceless linker cleavage strategy, (p-tolysulfonyl)methyl isocyanide or ethyl isocyanoacetate was employed to react with the vinyl sulfone moiety to liberate functionalized 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoindole products from the resin. Using this chemistry, nine tetrahydroisoindole derivatives (6, 15-22) were prepared in 32-41% overall yields from polystyrene/divinylbenzene sulfinate 1.     

Self-assembly of amphiphilic hexapyridinium cations at the air/water interface and on HOPG surfaces.

Mono- and multilayers of a novel amphiphilic hexapyridinium cation with six eicosyl chains (3) are spread at the air/water interface as well as on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). On water, the monolayer of 3 is investigated by recording surface pressure/area and surface potential/area isotherms, and by Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). Self-organized tubular micelles with an internal edge-on orientation of molecules form at the air/water interface at low surface pressure whereas multilayers are present at high surface pressure, after a phase transition. Packing motifs suggesting a tubular arrangement of the constituting molecules were gleaned from atomic force microscopy (AFM) investigations of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) monolayers being transferred on HOPG at different surface pressures. These LB film structures are compared to the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 3 formed via adsorption from a supersaturated solution, which is studied by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). On HOPG the SAM of 3 consists of nanorods with a highly ordered edge-on packing of the aromatic rings and an arrangement of alkyl chains which resembles the packing of molecules at the air/water interface at low surface pressure. Additional details of the molecular packing were gleaned from single-crystal X-ray structure analysis of the hexapyridinium model compound 2b, which possesses methyl instead of eicosyl residues.     

A Novel Anti-Inflammatory d-Peptide Inhibits Disease Phenotype Progression in an ALS Mouse Model

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterised by selective neuronal death in the brain stem and spinal cord. The cause is unknown, but an increasing amount of evidence has firmly certified that neuroinflammation plays a key role in ALS pathogenesis. Neuroinflammation is a pathological hallmark of several neurodegenerative disorders and has been implicated as driver of disease progression. Here, we describe a treatment study demonstrating the therapeutic potential of a tandem version of the well-known all-d-peptide RD2 (RD2RD2) in a transgenic mouse model of ALS (SOD1*G93A). Mice were treated intraperitoneally for four weeks with RD2RD2 vs. placebo. SOD1*G93A mice were tested longitudinally during treatment in various behavioural and motor coordination tests. Brain and spinal cord samples were investigated immunohistochemically for gliosis and neurodegeneration. RD2RD2 treatment in SOD1*G93A mice resulted not only in a reduction of activated astrocytes and microglia in both the brain stem and lumbar spinal cord, but also in a rescue of neurons in the motor cortex. RD2RD2 treatment was able to slow progression of the disease phenotype, especially the motor deficits, to an extent that during the four weeks treatment duration, no significant progression was observed in any of the motor experiments. Based on the presented results, we conclude that RD2RD2 is a potential therapeutic candidate against ALS.     

Negative dipole potentials of uncharged langmuir monolayers due to fluorination of the hydrophilic heads

The dipole potential, affecting the structure, functions, and interactions of biomembranes, lipid bilayers, and Langmuir monolayers, is positive toward the hydrocarbon moieties. We show that uncharged Langmuir monolayers of docosyl trifluoroethyl ether (DFEE) exhibit large negative dipole potentials, while the nonfluorinated docosyl ethyl ether (DEE) forms films with positive dipole potentials. Comparison of the Delta V values for these ethers with those of the previously studied(37-39) monolayers of trifluoroethyl ester (TFEB) and ethyl ester of behenic acid (EB) shows that the reversal of the sign of Delta V causes the same change Delta(Delta V) = -706 +/- 16 mV due to fluorination of heads. The Delta V values of both TFEB and EB films differ by -122 +/- 16 mV from those of DFEE and DEE monolayers, respectively, with the same density. Such quantitative coincidence points to a common mechanism of reversal of the sign of the dipole potential for the ether and ester films despite the different structure of their heads. The mechanical properties and phase behaviors of these monolayers show that both fluorinated heads are less hydrated, suggesting that the change of the sign of Delta V could, at least partially, be related to different hydration water structure. The same negative contribution of the carbonyl bond in both TFEB and EB films contrasts with the generally accepted positive contribution of the C(delta+)=O(delta-) bond in condensed Langmuir monolayers of fatty acids, their alcohol esters, glycerides, and phospholipids but concurs with the theoretical analysis of Delta V of stearic acid monolayers. Both results question the literature values of the molecular dipole moments of these substances calculated via summation of bonds and atomic group contributions. Mixed monolayers of DFEE and DEE show smooth monotonic variation of Delta V from +450 to -235 mV, indicating a way for adjustment of the sign and magnitude of the dipole potential at the membrane-water boundary and regulation of such membrane behaviors as binding and translocation rate of hydrophobic ions and ion-carriers, adsorption and penetration of amphiphilic peptides, polarization of hydration water, and short-range repulsion. The interaction of the hydrophobic ions tetraphenylboron TPhB- and tetraphenylphosphonium TPhP+ with DFEE and DEE monolayers qualitatively follows the theory of binding of such ions to lipid bilayers, but the shifts Delta(Delta V) from the values obtained on water are much smaller than those for DPPC monolayers. This difference seems to be due to the solid (polycrystalline) character of the DFEE and DEE films that hampers the penetration of TPhB- and TPhP+ in the monolayers and reduces the attractive interaction with the hydrophobic moiety. This conclusion orients the future synthesis of amphiphiles with fluorinated heads to those which could form liquid-expanded Langmuir monolayers.     

Synthesis and Structure of K[Cd(O2N‐C6H4‐NNN‐C6H4‐NO2)3], an Anionic 1, 3‐Bis(4‐nitrophenyl)triazenido Complex of Cadmium

The reaction of cadmium acetate in methanol with 1, 3‐bis(4‐nitrophenyl)triazene in THF in the presence of KOH yields K[Cd(O₂NC₆H₄NNNC₆H₄NO₂)₃] in form of hexagonal prismatic, red crystals with the trigonal space group R3¯ and a = 12.229(2), c = 48.988(10) Å and Z = 6. In the anionic cadmium complexes, which are located along the threefold axis, the Cd atoms are coordinated in a trigonal prismatic arrangement by the atoms N(1) and N(3) of three triazenido ligands. The potassium cations are coordinated icosahedrally by oxygen atoms of each one nitro group of six neighbouring anionic complexes. The Cd‐N distances are 2.376(4) and 2.350(4) Å, and the K‐O distances are in the range of 2.833(6) to 3.365(6) Å.     

Monitoring of Spirulina Flakes and Powders from Italian Companies

Microalgae and microalgae-derived compounds have great potential as supplements in the human diet and as a source of bioactive products with health benefits. Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis (Nordstedt) Gomont, or Spirulina platensis) belongs to the class of cyanobacteria and has been studied for its numerous health benefits, which include anti-inflammatory properties, among others. This work was aimed at comparing some spirulina products available on the Italian market. The commercial products here analyzed consisted of spirulina cultivated and processed with different approaches. Single-component spirulina products in powder and flake form, free of any type of excipient produced from four different companies operating in the sector, have been analyzed. The macro- and micromorphological examination, and the content of pigments, phycobiliproteins, phenols, and proteins have shown differences regarding the morphology and chemical composition, especially for those classes of particularly unstable compounds such as chlorophylls and carotenoids, suggesting a great influence of both culture conditions and processing methods.     

Experimental NMR and MS study of benzoylguanidines. Investigation of E/Z isomerism

Molecules containing the guanidinic nuclei possess several pharmacological applications, and knowing the preferred isomers of a potential drug is important to understand the way it operates pharmacologically. Benzoylguanidines were synthesized in satisfactory to good yields and characterized by NMR, Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (ESI‐MS) and Fourrier Transform InfraRed Spectroscopy techniques (FTIR). E/Z isomerism of the guanidines was studied and confirmed by NMR analysis in solution (¹H‐¹³C Heteronuclear Single Quantum Coherence (HSQC) and Heteronuclear Multiple‐Bond Correlation (HMBC), ¹H‐¹⁵N HMBC, ¹H‐¹H Correlation Spectroscopy (COSY) and Nuclear Overhauser Effect Spectroscopy (NOESY) experiments) at low temperatures. Compounds with p‐Cl and p‐Br aniline moiety exist mainly as Z isomer with a small proportion of E isomer, whereas compounds with p‐NO2 moiety showed a decrease in proportion of isomer Z. The results are important for the application of these molecules as enzymatic inhibitors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.