The matching of electrostatic extrema: A useful method in drug design? A study of phosphodiesterase III inhibitors

Summary Ligands which bind to a specific protein binding site are often expected to have a similar electrostatic environment which complements that of the binding site. One method of assessing molecular electrostatic similarity is to examine the possible overlay of the maxima and minima in the electrostatic potential outside the molecules and thereby match the regions where strong electrostatic interactions, including hydrogen bonds, with the residues of the binding site may be possible. This approach is validated with accurate calculations of the electrostatic potential, derived from a distributed multipole analysis of an ab initio charge density of the molecule, so that the effects of lone pair and -electron density are correctly included. We have applied this method to the phosphodiesterase (PDE) III substrate adenosine-3,5-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and a range of nonspecific and specific PDE III inhibitors. Despite the structural variation between cAMP and the inhibitors, it is possible to match three or four extrema to produce relative orientations in which the inhibitors are sufficiently sterically and electrostatically similar to the natural substrate to account for their affinity for PDE III. This matching of extrema is more apparent using the accurate electrostatic models than it was when this approach was first applied, using semiempirical point charge models. These results reinforce the hypothesis of electrostatic similarity and give weight to the technique of extrema matching as a useful tool in drug design.     

Preparation and characterization of theβ-cyclodextrin inclusion complex with sulfafurazole

The 1 : 1 inclusion complex involving sulfafurazole (SF) and-cyclodextrin (-CD) is prepared by the freeze-drying method and characterized on the basis of its chemical analysis, thermal behavior, infrared spectrum, X-ray powder pattern and¹³C NMR spectrum in DMSO-d₆ solution. The stability constant of the inclusion complex was determined by the solubility method. The effect of cyclodextrin on the UV absorption spectrum of sulfafurazole was also observed.     

The inclusion of rhodium(II)α-methyl-cinnamate in β-cyclodextrin

The preparation and characterization of the 1:1 inclusion compound of rhodium(II) -methyl cinnamate in -cyclodextrin is reported. Evidence of inclusion was obtained from X-ray powder diffraction results, Raman, IR and UV-Vis spectroscopic studies and thermal analysis. Given the potential antitumor activity of the rhodium(II) carboxylate and its virtual insolubility in water, its inclusion in -cyclodextrin opens the possibility for its transference to the aqueous phase.     

Synthesis of phosphorus (silicon,tin)-containing derivatives of mercaptoketenes and some of their properties

Some newS-phosphorylated,S-silylated, andS-stannylated derivatives of -mercaptoketones were obtained. The reactions of some of these compounds induced by the temperature and by molecular oxygen as well as the phosphorylation of the Si- and Sn-containing derivatives were studied.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 353–357, February, 1995.     

Enantiomer differentiation in intramolecular carbon—hydrogen insertion reactions of racemic secondary alkyl diazoacetates catalyzed by chiral dirhodium(ii) carboxamidates

Highly efficient kinetic resolution of racemic secondary alkyl diazoacetates in intramolecular carbon-hydrogen insertion reactions has been achieved using chiral dirhodium(ii) carboxamidates. Products formed from catalytic diazo decomposition of racemic 2-octyl diazoacetate and, separately, its (2R)- and (2S)-enantiomeric forms, as well as bothcis- andtrans-2-methylcyclohexyl diazoacetates, have been systematically evaluated. Enantioselectivities up to 99 %ee have been obtained for -lactone formation. -Lactone production has been observed and, although minor with cyclohexyl diazoacetates, is the major insertion pathway for diazo decomposition of 2-octyl diazoacetate.Dedicated to Academician of the RAS N. S. Zefirov (on his 60th birthday).Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1798–1803, September, 1995.Financial support for this research from the National Institutes of Health (GM 46503) and the National Science Foundation of the United States is gratefully acknowledged. We thank D. A. Pierson for her preparation of 2-methylcyclohexyl diazoacetates and preliminary studies of their diazo decomposition and A. Melekhov from the Higher College of Chemistry for his preparation and catalytic studies of rac-2-octyl diazoacetate.     

Real-time onboard wind and windshear determination,part 2: Detection

This paper is concerned with windshear detection in connection with real-time wind identification (Ref. 1). It presents a comparative evaluation of two techniques, one based on the shear/downdraft factor and one based on the wind difference index. The comparison is done with reference to a particular microburst, that which caused the 1985 crash of Flight Delta 191 at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.The shear/downdraft factor has the merit of combining the effects of the shear and the downdraft into a single entity. However, its effectiveness is hampered by the fact that, in a real situation, the windshear is accompanied by free-stream turbulence, which tends to blur the resulting signal. In turn, this results in undesirable nuisance warnings if the magnitude of the shear factor due to free-stream turbulence is temporarily larger than that due to true windshear. Therefore, proper filtering is necessary prior to using the shear/downdraft factor in detection and guidance. One effective way for achieving this goal is to average the shear/downdraft factor over a specified time interval . The effect of on the average shear/downdraft factor is studied.     

The influence of cyclodextrin complexation on proton transfer in piperidinomethyl-2-naphthol

Summary Piperidinomethyl-2-naphthol forms inclusion complexes with -cyclodextrin with an equilibrium constant of 265M ^–1 in aqueous solution. The proton transfer equilibrium between the neutral and the zwitterionic form is strongly influenced by the association.

---

Der Einfluß der Komplexierung mit -Cyclodextrin auf das Protontransfer-Gleichgewicht in Piperidino-2-naphthol (Kurze Mitt.)

Zusammenfassung Piperidinomethyl-2-naphthol bildet Einschlußkomplexe mit -Cyclodextrin mit einer Gleichgewichtskonstante von 265M ^–1. Das Protontransfer-Gleichgewicht zwischen neutraler Form und zwitterionischer Struktur wird durch diese Assoziation stark beeinflußt.

     

The host-guest chemistry of resorcinarenes

Conformations, acid-base and supramolecular properties of phenolic metacyclophanes obtained from the condensation of resorcinol with aldehydes are discussed, including the mechanisms involved in the formation of these macrocycles. The strong binding of choline-type compounds and the inhibition of acetylcholine hydrolysis with therccc stereoisomers is mechanistically evaluated; arctt isomer shows strong conformational coupling for, e.g., choline binding and simultaneous proton release. The presence of larger alkyl residues at the bottom of therccc macrocycle leads to an additional binding site for small lipophilic substrates, which is independent of the upper complexation center for positively charged substrates. Substitution at the upper rim by carboxylic groups at the 2-position of the phenyl rings yields receptors for, e.g., , -diammonium ions with alternate equatorial and axial arylunits. Positively charged substituents at the upper rim, introduced by aminoalkylation, lead to little change of complexation as a result from their orientation away from the binding center. Aminoacid substituents, for the same reason, do not lead to enantioselective complexation, but allow particularly for strong binding of transition metal ions. Preliminary studies show that resorcinarenes bearing a wide array of positive charges are potent groove binders to ds-DNA without intercalative contributions.This paper is dedicated to the commemorative issue on the 50th anniversary of calixarenes.     

Base-catalyzed cyclization of β-(2-arylaminoethoxy)styrenes

-(2-Arylaminoethoxy)styrenes undergo cyclization in the presence of KOH to giveN-aryl-2-benzyloxazolidines inca. 90 % yield. The structures of the products were confirmed by IR and NMR spectroscopy.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 340–341, February, 1994.     

Alkylation of cyclododecanone with α,ω-dibromoalkanes under conditions of phase-transfer catalysis

Alkylation of cyclododecanone with ,-dibromoalkanes Br(CH) _n Br (n=3, 4, 5) under conditions of phase-transfer catalysis in the presence of KOH results in the formation of either bicyclic ketones forn=3 and 5 or a mixture of bicyclic and spirocyclic ketones forn=4.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1436–1438, August, 1994.