Molecular characteristics of the inhibition of human neutrophil elastase by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) are known as clinically effective agents for treatment of inflammatory diseases. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase has been thought to be a major facet of the pharmacological mechanism of NSAIDs. However, it is difficult to ascribe the antiinflammatory effects of NSAIDs solely to the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. Human neutrophil elastase (HNElastase; HNE, EC 3.4.21.37) has been known as a causative factor in inflammatory diseases. To investigate the specific relationship between HNElastase inhibition and specificity of molecular structure of several NSAIDs, HNElastase was purified by Ultrogel AcA54 gel filtration, CM-Sephadex ion exchange, and HPLC (with TSK 250 column) chromatography. HNElastase was inhibited by aspirin and salicylate in a competitive manner and by naproxen, ketoprofen, phenylbutazone, and oxyphenbutazone in a partial competative manner, but not by ibuprofen and tolmetin. HNElastase-phenylbutazone-complex showed strong Raman shifts at 200, 440, 1124, 1194, 1384, 1506, and 1768 cm(-1). The Raman bands 1194, 1384, and 1768 cm(-1) may represent evidences of the conformational change at -N=N-phi radical, pyrazol ring, and -C=O radical of the elastase-drug complex, respectively. Phenylbutazone might be bound to HNElastase by ionic and hydrophobic interaction, and masked the active site. Inhibition of HNElastase could be another mechanism of action of NSAIDs besides cyclooxygenase inhibition in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Different inhibition characteristics of HNE-lastase by NSAIDs such as aspirin, phenylbutazone-like drugs and ineffective drugs could be important points for drawing the criteria for appropriate drugs in clinical application.     

Core modified meso-aryl corrole: first examples of CuII, NiII, CoII and RhI complexes

A variety of metal complexes of 5,10,15-triphenyl-21-monooxa-corrole 4 have been investigated. This monooxa corrole, where one of the pyrrole ring is replaced by a furan moiety, is synthesized by the alpha-alpha coupling reaction of 16-oxa tripyrrane and dipyrromethane. The single crystal X-ray structure of 4 indicates only small deviation of the inner-core heteroatoms from planarity and this macrocycle arrange themselves into a columnar structure. Insertion of metals further flattens the corrole framework. Specifically, oxacorrole 4 binds to Nil(II), Cu(II), and Co(II) with the participation of all heteroatoms in the coordination. However, Rh(I) ion binds to only one imino and one amino nitrogen of the macrocycle. The bond angles at the metal center in the Ni(II) and Rh(I) complexes reveal square planar geometry completed by two CO molecules for Rh(I). The EPR spectra of the paramagnetic that Cu(II) and Col(II) complexes display significant decreases in the metal hyperfine couplings compared with the corresponding porphyrin complexes. The presence of superhyperfine coupling in the Cu(II) complex suggests delocalization of unpaired electron density into the ligand orbitals. Electrochemical studies reveal easier oxidations and harder reductions relative to the corresponding porphyrin derivatives while, the metallated derivatives did not show their characteristic metal reductions due to the high energy of their LUMO.     

Self-assembly of oligomeric porphyrin rings

A cobalt porphyrin equipped with two different but geometrically complementary pyridine ligands self-assembles to form an unusually stable complex with approximately 12 porphyrin monomers arranged in a macrocyclic array.     

Determination of acetaldehyde in tobacco smoke using N-methyl-4-hydrazino-7-nitrobenzofurazan and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method for the determination of carbonyl compounds based on derivatization with N-methyl-4-hydrazino-7-nitrobenzofurazan (MNBDH) has been developed. Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) in the positive mode proved the most versatile ionization technique for MNBD-hydrazones. APCI/MS spectra were recorded and the detection limits were determined for [M+H]⁺. ¹³C₂ acetaldehyde MNBD-hydrazone has been synthesized and characterized. It is applied as internal standard for the quantification of acetaldehyde. Tobacco smoke has been investigated concerning its carbonyl content. Acetaldehyde was identified as main product and quantified by LC/MS using internal standardization. The result is in good agreement to quantification data obtained with UV/vis detection.     

Fragmentation of some 1,2-epoxyguaianolides

The mass spectra of four guaianolides with epoxy groups of C₁–C₂ have been studied. A mechanism is proposed for the formation of the main ions. The origin of the secondary fragments has been confirmed by measurements of elementary compositions.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances of the Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 796–800, November–December, 1980.     

On the morphology of polystyrene fractions,obtained by a multistep procedure from a radically polymerized sample

Summary A polystyrene sample obtained by free radical polymerization has been fractionated by preparative scale GPC and the structure and morphology of the fractions have been studied by¹³C-NMR spectroscopy, DSC and X-ray measurements. No changes in morphology in the course of fractionation have been obeyed. A distribution of syndiotacticity within the molecular weight distribution does not exist.

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Zusammenfassung Eine Polystyrolprobe, die durch radikalische Polymerisation hergestellt wurde, wurde mit Hilfe der präparativen Gelpermeationschromatographie fraktioniert; die Struktur und Morphologie der Fraktionen wurde mit¹³C-NMR-Spektroskopie, DSC und Röntgenbeugung untersucht. Im Verlauf der Fraktionierung traten keine Änderungen der Morphologie der Fraktionen auf. Innerhalb der Molekulargewichtsverteilung existiert keine Verteilung der Syndiotaktizität.

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List of abbrevations and symbols AIBN a, a-Azo-bis-(iso-butyronitrile) - D Dispersity, M _w /M _n - DSC Differential scanning calorimetry - EF Efficiency of fractionation - GPC Gel permeation chromatography - m mass of the fraction - M mass of the fractionated polymer sample - MWD Molecular weight distribution - P _r content of racemic dyads - PS Polystyrene - THF Tetrahydrofuran - U D-1 - U _ss U of the starting sample - U _f U of the fraction Auszug aus der Dissertation von U.-D. Standt: Zur Morphologie von Polystyrol, TU Braunschweig 1981.     

Triacylglycerols of fractionated cottonseed oil

The fatty-acid and triacylglycerol compositions of forepressing cottonseed oil and the refined and standard oils, and also of the palmitin fraction have been studied. It has been shown that the scheme of fractionation adopted does not give a clear separation of cottonseed oil into salad oil and palmitin. It has been found that typical compositions of the diunsaturated-monosaturated TAGs of the forepressing and refined and salad oils are practically the same, while the amount of diun-saturated-monosaturated TAGs in the palmitin fraction is far higher than in the others.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. SredazNIPKIPishcheprom [Central Asian Scientific-Research, Design, and Construction Institute of the Food Industry], Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 161–163, March–April, 1981.     

Phase transitions in thallous nitrate. A reinvestigation

A detailed reinvestigation of the phase transitions in thallous nitrate using DSC, X-ray, IR and optical microscopy has been undertaken. The DSC measurements on anhydrous samples show that the orthorhombic [OR] → hexagonal [HEX] transition sets in at 349 ± 1 K and peaks around 353 K. However, its intensity depends upon several factors such as particle size, moisture content and thermal history of the sample. The HEX→cubic [C] transition sets in around 405 K and shows two peaks at ～409 K and 413 K. Their relative intensities depend on the moisture content and thermal history of the sample. On cooling, the peaks show hysteresis and, by selective thermal cycling, the pairs of transitions, which correspond to the same process during heating and cooling, have been identified. IR spectra recorded in the OR and HEX phases at room temperature show that the symmetric stretching frequency (～1040 cm^?1) of the nitrate ion gets damped in the HEX phase. X-ray and optical microscopy data are in good agreement with the DSC observations.     

Flotation—spectrophotometric determination of osmium with thiocyanate and methylene blue

A sensitive flotation—spectrophotometric method, based on the ion associate formed by the anionic thiocyanate complex of osmium with the basic dye methylene blue (MB) is described. The ion associate precipitates when the aqueous solution is shaken with toluene, and the separated and washed compound is dissolved in acetone. The molar absorptivity is 2.2 × 10⁵ l mol^-1 cm^-1 at 655 nm. Beer's law is obeyed. The molar ratio of Os:SCN:MB in the separated and washed ion associate is 1:6:3. Ruthenium reacts similarly. The method is applied to the determination of traces of osmium in crucible platinum after separation of osmium by distillation as tetroxide.