Structural Requirements for the Antiprotozoal Activity of 4-Aminobicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2-ols

Summary. Several 4-aminobicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2-ones and -ols were synthesized using different pathways. The new compounds were investigated for their activity against Trypanosoma b. rhodesiense, the causative organism of East African sleeping sickness and Plasmodium falciparum the protozoan parasite which causes Malaria tropica. The results are compared to the activities of known compounds and the influence of the substitution of the bicyclo[2.2.2]octane skeleton on the biological activities is discussed.     

The effect of bridge group on the thermal stability of nitro-substituted aromatic polyamides

The effect of introducing a bridge group into the diamine moiety on the thermal stability of aromatic polyamides substituted with a nitro group in the diamine ring at the ortho position to the amide group was studied. Our present work showed that the bridge group, whether it was electron withdrawing or releasing, did not have a significant effect on the activity of the nitro group for the intramolecular cyclization reaction to poly(benzoxazole)s.     

The t-butyl group as sensor group of the ortho effect

The ¹³C chemical shift difference between the Me group C atoms and the quaternary C atom of the t-Bu group in 58 p-, m- and o-substituted t-butyl-benzenes has been measured and analysed in terms of inductive. mesomeric and proximity effects. It is shown that the ortho effect is too complex to justify a unified explanation by a correlation treatment.     

Plasma and blood assay of xanthine and hypoxanthine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry: physiological variations in humans

Plasma and blood xanthine and hypoxanthine levels were assayed using a sensitive and specific method involving gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, associated with an optimized sample preparation procedure. Physiological variation was studied in 224 subjects with no purine metabolism disorders. An age dependency for both compounds was found, comparable with that known for uric acid. The mean plasma levels for the 224 subjects were 0.65 +/- 0.24 microM for xanthine and 1.65 +/- 0.78 microM for hypoxanthine. Corresponding mean blood levels were 0.59 +/- 0.21 microM for xanthine and 1.72 +/- 0.74 microM for hypoxanthine. Plasma and blood levels were significantly different, by ca. 10%. Rapid in vitro release of hypoxanthine from erythrocytes and continuation of intraerythrocytal metabolism lead to overestimation exceeding 10% within half an hour after sample blood collection. Hence samples must be deproteinized promptly. Blood can therefore be conveniently used for oxypurine assay instead of plasma when prompt spinning of samples is difficult to manage, as is usually encountered in clinical practice.     

Terpestacin core structure. control of stereochemistry

[reaction: see text] The alpha-hydroxycyclopentenone core structure of terpestacin has been prepared in a model system through an allene ether Nazarov cyclization of an alkylidene-gamma-butyrolactone followed by regio- and stereoselective alkylation reactions. The stereochemistry at C15 (terpestacin numbering) has been used to control stereochemistry at C1 and at C23. The use of E-alkylidene-gamma-butyrolactones extends the scope of the cationic cyclopentannelation reaction.     

A protein molecule in an aqueous mixed solvent: fluctuation theory outlook

In the present paper a procedure to calculate the properties of proteins in aqueous mixed solvents, particularly the excesses of the constituents of the mixed solvent near the protein molecule and the preferential binding parameters, is suggested. Expressions for the Kirkwood-Buff integrals in ternary mixtures and for the preferential binding parameter were derived and used to calculate various properties of infinitely dilute proteins in aqueous mixed solvents. The derived expressions and experimental information regarding the partial molar volumes and the preferential binding parameters were used to calculate the excesses (deficits) of water and cosolvent (in comparison with the bulk concentrations of protein-free mixed solvent) in the vicinity of ribonuclease A, ribonuclease T1, and lysozyme molecules. The calculations showed that water was in excess in the vicinity of ribonuclease A for water/glycerol and water/trehalose mixtures, and the cosolvent urea was in excess in the vicinity of ribonuclease T1 and lysozyme. The derivative of the activity coefficient of the protein with respect to the mole fraction of water was also calculated. This derivative was negative for the water/glycerol and water/trehalose mixed solvents and positive for the water/urea mixture. The mixture of lysozyme in the water/urea solvent is of particular interest, because the lysozyme at pH 7.0 is in its native state up to 9.3M urea, while at pH 2.0 it is denaturated between 2.5 and 5M and higher concentrations of urea. Our results demonstrated a striking similarity in the hydration of lysozyme at both pHs. It is worthwhile to note that the excesses of urea were only weakly composition dependent on both cases.     

11C-labelled etorphine for “in vivo” studies of opiate receptors in brain

In order to study “in vivo” opiate receptors, a method for¹¹C labelling of etorphine is described. 80 mCi (max. 120 mCi) of injectable labelled product radiochemically and chemically pure, are obtained in 25 minutes with a specific activity of 800 mCi/μmol.     

Cis/trans copolyamides of 1,4-bisaminomethylcyclohexane

Copolyamides prepared from cis- and trans-1,4-bisaminomethylcyclohexane with adipic, sebacic, and dodecanoic acids showed a decrease in melting point with increasing cis diamine content and increasing chain length of the diacid. Most unusual was the fact that the glass transition temperature of these copolymers were essentially independent of diamine isomer content. The existence of an intermediate conformation for some of the cyclohexane rings such as the “twistmer” is suggested to account for this discrepancy. The T_g, T_c, and T_m all decreased with increasing chain length of the diacid. The thermal stability as exemplified by the polysebacamides, was independent of diamine isomer content.     

Different detection systems for the HPLC analysis of oxylipins, by-products of the enzymatic generation of 2E-hexenal

The incubation of 13-hydroperoxy-9Z,11E,15Z-octadecatrienoic acid (13-HPOT) with a hydroperoxide lyase containing extract of mung bean seedlings (Phaseolus radiatus L.) led not only to the formation of 2E-hexenal, but also to the generation of several non-volatile by-products (oxylipins). These oxylipins, generated by the catalysis of other 13-HPOT metabolizing enzymes, were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) without time-comsuming derivatization procedures, which would be necessary for their volatilization and stabilization during gaschromatography (GC). Different detection systems such as an evaporative light-scattering detector (ELSD), diode-array detector (DAD), and particle beam-mass spectrometry (PB-MS) were applied. The utilization of an ELSD represented an improvement of sensitivity compared to a DAD, especially in the case of substances with low UV-activity.     

Aggregates of small silver particles in surface layers of glasses — electron microscopy and optical microspectroscopy

In glasses containing antimony or arsenic in the order of 1 weight-% the treatment with a silver-containing paste yields a dark-red surface layer. Transmission electron microscopy shows that there are aggregates of spherical silver particles in the coloured layer. Optical microspectroscopy proves extinction spectra consisting of two bands. Comparing these spectra with calculated ones reveals that the two bands can be explained by the existence of aggregates. The change of the extinction within the coloured layer is a result of the mutually different spatial arrangements of the silver particles which were found by electron microscopy.