Determination of a novel antifibrotic small molecule GDC‐3280 in human plasma and urine by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry to support its first‐in‐human clinical trial

A specific and robust LC–MS/MS method was developed and validated for the quantitative determination of GDC‐3280 in human plasma and urine. The nonspecific binding associated with urine samples was overcome by the addition of CHAPS. The sample volume was 25 μL for either matrix, and supported liquid extraction was employed for analyte extraction. d6‐GDC‐3280 was used as the internal standard. Linear standard curves (R² > 0.9956) were established from 5.00 to 5000 ng/mL in both matrices with quantitation extended to 50,000 ng/mL through dilution. In plasma matrix, the precision (RSD) ranged from 1.5 to 9.9% (intra‐run) and from 2.4 to 7.2% (inter‐run); the accuracy (RE) ranged from 96.1 to 107% (intra‐run) and from 96.7 to 104% (inter‐run). Similarly, in urine the precision was 1.5–6.2% (intra‐run) and 1.9–6.1% (inter‐run); the accuracy was 83.1–99.3% (intra‐run) and 87.1–98.3% (inter‐run). Good recovery (>94%) and negligible matrix effect were achieved in both matrices. Long‐term matrix stability was established for at least 703 days in plasma and 477 days in urine. Bench‐top stability of 25 h and five freeze–thaw cycles were also confirmed in both matrices. The method was successfully implemented in GDC‐3280's first‐in‐human trial for assessing its pharmacokinetic profiles.     

Easily grafted polyurethanes with reactive main chain functional groups. Synthesis,characterization, and antithrombogenicity of poly(ethylene glycol)-grafted poly(urethanes)

A novel synthesis of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-grafted poly(urethanes) (PURs) is described based on a precursor PUR containing free amino groups in the main chain. Three different poly(urethane) backbones were prepared: a homopoly(urethane) comprised of N-Bocdiethanolamine (BDA) and 4,4′-methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate) (MDI), a copoly(urethane) (COPUR) consisting of BDA, N-benzyldiethanolamine and MDI, and a poly(urethane urea) (PUU) that was prepared from BDA, MDI, and ethylenediamine as the chain extender. The M_n of these poly(urethanes) ranged from 32,000 to 72,000 g/mol. PEG (750, 1,900, and 5,000 g/mol) was grafted onto the boc-deprotected poly(urethanes) via the chloroformate. Films of the polymers were spin cast from dilute solutions, annealed, and the surfaces analyzed by goniometry. Water contact angle data indicates increasing PEG surface coverage of the poly(urethanes) with increasing PEG molecular weight. Reorientation of the polymer films is evidenced by contact angle hysteresis. Polymer thrombogenicity, which was studied using blood perfusion experiments, shows that COPUR-g-PEG5000 and PUU-g-PEG5000 exhibit very little platelet adhesion. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3441–3448, 1999     

Synthesis of optically enriched 1,2-aminoalcohols by [2,3]-Wittig rearrangements of 3-aza-allylic alcohol derivatives

[2,3]-Wittig rearrangements of (E)-3-aza-allylic alcohol derivatives can provide access to syn or anti optically enriched 1,2-aminoalcohols by using a chirality transfer or a chiral auxiliary.     

Enantioselective monoreduction of 2-alkyl-1,3-diketones mediated by chiral ruthenium catalysts. dynamic kinetic resolution

The reduction of 2-alkyl-1,3-diketones using (R,R)- or (S,S)-RuCl[N-(tosyl)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine](p-cymene) in the presence of formic acid and triethylamine affords syn-2-alkyl-3-hydroxy ketones as the major products with high enantioselectivity. [reaction: see text]     

Total synthesis of zincophorin methyl ester

[reaction: see text]. A convergent total synthesis of the methyl ester of zincophorin, an ionophore antibiotic, has been realized relying on a diastereoselective titanium-mediated aldol coupling between the C1-C12 and C13-C25 subunits. The latter fragment was prepared by using a Carroll-Claisen rearrangement.     

Access to Optically Active 3‐Substituted Piperidines by Ring Expansion of Prolinols and Derivatives

The ring expansion of prolinols via an aziridinium intermediate gives C3‐substituted piperidines in good yields and enantiomeric excess, the substituent at the C3 position being derived from the most reactive nucleophile in the reaction mixture. Depending on the nucleophile, the reaction proceeds under thermodynamic or kinetic control. The regioselectivity of attack of nucleophiles on the aziridinium intermediate depends on the nature of the substituents on the nitrogen atom and the C4 position of the starting prolinols.     

On the DFT Ground State of Crystalline Bromine and Iodine

We report on an erroneous ground state within common density functional theory (DFT) methods for the solid elements bromine and iodine. Phonon computations at the GGA level for both molecular crystals yield imaginary vibrational modes, erroneously indicating dynamic instability—that fact alone could easily pass as a computational artefact, but these imaginary modes lead to energetically more favorable and dynamically stable structures, made up of infinite monoatomic chains. In contrast, meta‐GGA and hybrid functionals yield the correct energetic order for bromine, while for iodine, most global hybrids do not improve the GGA result significantly. The qualitatively correct answer, in both cases, is given by the long‐range corrected hybrid LC‐ωPBE, the Minnesota functionals M06L and M06, and by periodic Hartree–Fock and MP2 theory. This poor performance of economic DFT functionals should be kept in mind, for example, during global structure optimizations of systems with significant contributions from halogen bonds.     

A Highly K+‐Selective Two‐Photon Fluorescent Probe

A highly K⁺‐selective two‐photon fluorescent probe for the in vitro monitoring of physiological K⁺ levels in the range of 1–100 mM is reported. The two‐photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) probe shows a fluorescence enhancement (FE) by a factor of about three in the presence of 160 mM K⁺, independently of one‐photon (OP, 430 nm) or two‐photon (TP, 860 nm) excitation and comparable K⁺‐induced FEs in the presence of competitive Na⁺ ions. The estimated dissociation constant (K_d) values in Na⁺‐free solutions (K_d^OP=(28±5) mM and K_d^TP=(36±6) mM ) and in combined K⁺/Na⁺ solutions (K_d^OP=(38±8) mM and K_d^TP=(46±25) mM ) reflecting the high K⁺/Na⁺ selectivity of the fluorescent probe. The TP absorption cross‐section (σ_2PA) of the TPEF probe+160 mM K⁺ is 26 GM at 860 nm. Therefore, the TPEF probe is a suitable tool for the in vitro determination of K⁺.