Emergence, Diversity, and Control of New Psychoactive Substances: A Global Perspective.

The phenomenon of new psychoactive substances (NPS), which came to the attention of the wider international community at the beginning of the 2010s, has been unprecedented in terms of the sheer number of substances, their rate of emergence, chemical diversity, and range of pharmacological effects. In particular, the chemical diversity has been a challenge to promoting a better understanding of the NPS market - a fundamental requirement for effective policy decisions and interventions. This manuscript highlights the significant chemical diversity of NPS and describes an alternative, complementary, and pragmatic classification based on pharmacological effects, which aligns NPS to traditional controlled drugs and enhances understanding of the phenomenon. It further reviews actions taken at the international level to address the NPS issue, including changes in the scope of control of some NPS and the enhancement of the United Nations Early Warning Advisory on NPS to deal with the dynamics and evolution of the market.

Toxicology in international drug control-Prioritizing the most harmful, persistent and prevalent substances.

The nature of the global drugs market has evolved rapidly and has become more complex with the emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS), some of which have been associated with increased abuse, hospital emergency admissions and sometimes fatalities. NPS are characterized by geographic heterogeneity, with some only transient in nature and others not satisfying the criteria for harm required for international control. Consequently, a pragmatic response of the international community is to prioritize the most harmful, persistent and prevalent substances for action - an objective, which is hampered by the paucity of data on harms. The report describes a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) initiative, in collaboration with the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT), to collect, analyze and share toxicology data at a global level to reinforce the ability of the international community in making informed decisions using a scientific evidence-based approach, in identifying the most harmful NPS.

New psychoactive substances: catalysing a shift in forensic science practice?

The analysis of substances of abuse remains one of the most matured areas in forensic science with a strong scientific basis, namely analytical chemistry. The current evolving drug markets, characterized by the global emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) and the need for forensic scientists to identify an unprecedented and ever-increasing number of NPS, presents a unique challenge to this discipline. This article looks at the current situation with NPS at the global level, and the challenges posed to the otherwise technically robust forensic science discipline of analysis of substances of abuse. It discusses the preparedness of forensic science to deal with the current situation and identifies the need for a shift in forensic science practice, especially one which embraces research and looks beyond normal casework in order to provide the much needed data for developing effective policy responses to the NPS problem.

Thermodynamic profiles and nuclear magnetic resonance studies of oligonucleotide duplexes containing single diastereomeric spiroiminodihydantoin lesions.

The spiroiminodihydantoins (Sp) are highly mutagenic oxidation products of guanine and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine in DNA. The Sp lesions have recently been detected in the liver and colon of mice infected with Helicobacter hepaticus that induces inflammation and the development of liver and colon cancers in murine model systems [Mangerich, A., et al. (2012) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 109, E1820-E1829]. The impact of Sp lesions on the thermodynamic characteristics and the effects of the diastereomeric Sp-R and Sp-S lesions on the conformational features of double-stranded 11-mer oligonucleotide duplexes have been studied by a combination of microcalorimetric methods, analysis of DNA melting curves, and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance methods. The nonplanar, propeller-like shapes of the Sp residues strongly diminish the extent of local base stacking interactions that destabilize the DNA duplexes characterized by unfavorable enthalpy contributions. Relative to that of an unmodified duplex, the thermally induced unfolding of the duplexes with centrally positioned Sp-R and Sp-S lesions into single strands is accompanied by a smaller release of cationic counterions (Δn(Na⁺) = 0.6 mol of Na⁺/mol of duplex) and water molecules (Δn(w) = 17 mol of H2O/mol of duplex). The unfolding parameters are similar for the Sp-R and Sp-S lesions, although their orientations in the duplexes are different. The structural disturbances radiate one base pair beyond the flanking C:G pair, although Watson-Crick hydrogen bonding is maintained at all flanking base pairs. The observed relatively strong destabilization of B-form DNA by the physically small Sp lesions is expected to have a significant impact on the processing of these lesions in biological environments.

Histamine determination in human urine using sub-2 µm C18 column with fluorescence and mass spectrometric detection.

A fast, sensitive, and selective method for the determination of histamine in human urine samples by ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography (LC) with fluorescence and mass spectrometry (MS) detection is investigated. A fluorescent reagent, 4-(1-pyrene) butyric acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester was conjugated to the primary and secondary amino moieties of histamine. The structure of dipyrene-labeled histamine in human urine was determined by quadrupole time-of-flight MS with electospray ionization interface. The determination of the dipyrene derivative of histamine in urine samples was achieved within 3.9 min on an ultrahigh pressure LC Eclipse Zorbax XDB-C(18) column with 1.8 µm particle diameter. In this work, histamine separation was achieved significantly faster (3.9 min) with improved detection limit (signal-to-noise = 3) of 0.04 nM than 19.5 min with a detection limit of 0.183 nM as reported in a previous method.

Absolute configurations of DNA lesions determined by comparisons of experimental ECD and ORD spectra with DFT calculations.

The usefulness of modern density functional theory (DFT) methods is considered for establishing the absolute configurations of DNA lesions by comparisons of computed and experimentally measured optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Two rigid, structurally different DNA lesions (two spiroiminodihydantoin stereoisomers and four equine estrogen 4-hydoxyequilenin-DNA stereoisomeric adducts) have been investigated. In all cases, the signs and shapes of the computed ORD spectra reproduced the experimentally measured ORD spectra, although the magnitudes of the computed and experimental ORD values do not coincide exactly. The computed ECD spectra also reproduced the shapes of the experimental ECD spectra rather well, but are blue-shifted by 10-20 nm. Since the assignments of the absolute configurations of the DNA lesions studied based on computed and experimental ORD and ECD spectra are fully consistent with one another, the computational DFT method shows significant promise for determining the absolute configurations of DNA lesions. Establishing the stereochemistry of DNA lesions is highly useful for understanding their biological impact, especially when sufficient amounts of material are not available for other methods of structural characterization.

Methylation of 2'-deoxyguanosine by a free radical mechanism.

The mechanistic aspects of the methylation of guanine in DNA initiated by methyl radicals that are derived from the metabolic oxidation of some chemical carcinogens remain poorly understood. In this work, we investigated the kinetics and the formation of methylated guanine products by two methods: (i) the combination of *CH3 radicals and guanine neutral radicals, G(-H)*, and (ii) the direct addition of *CH3 radicals to guanine bases. The simultaneous generation of *CH3 and dG(-H)* radicals was triggered by the competitive one-electron oxidation of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG) by photochemically generated sulfate radicals in deoxygenated aqueous buffer solutions (pH 7.5). The photolysis of methylcob(III)alamin to form *CH3 radicals was used to investigate the direct addition of these radicals to guanine bases. The major end products of the radical combination reactions are the 8-methyl-dG and N2-methyl-dG products formed in a ratio of 1:0.7. In contrast, the methylation of dG by *CH3 radicals generates mostly the 8-methyl-dG adduct and only minor quantities of N2-methyl-dG (1:0.13 ratio). The methylation of the self-complementary 5'-d(AACGCGAATTCGCGTT) duplexes was achieved by the selective oxidation of the guanines with carbonate radical anions in the presence of DMSO as the precursor of *CH3 radicals. The methyl-G lesions formed were excised by the enzymatic digestion and identified by LC-MS/MS methods using uniformly 15N-labeled 8-methyl-dG and N2-methyl-dG adducts as internal standards. The ratios of 8-methyl-G/N2-methyl-G lesions derived from the combination of methyl radicals with G(-H)* radicals positioned in double-stranded DNA or that with the free nucleoside dG(-H)* radicals were found to be similar. Utilizing the photochemical method and dipropyl or dibutyl sulfoxides as sources of alkyl radicals, the corresponding 8-alkyl-dG and N2-alkyl-dG adducts were also generated in ratios similar to those obtained with DMSO.

The role of one-electron reduction of lipid hydroperoxides in causing DNA damage.

The in vivo metabolism of plasma lipids generates lipid hydroperoxides that, upon one-electron reduction, give rise to a wide spectrum of genotoxic unsaturated aldehydes and epoxides. These metabolites react with cellular DNA to form a variety of pre-mutagenic DNA lesions. The mechanisms of action of the radical precursors of these genotoxic electrophiles are poorly understood. In this work we investigated the nature of DNA products formed by a one-electron reduction of (13S)-hydroperoxy-(9Z,11E)-octadecadienoic acid (13S-HPODE), a typical lipid molecule, and the reactions of the free radicals thus generated with neutral guanine radicals, G(-H)(*). A novel approach was devised to generate these intermediates in solution. The two-photon-induced ionization of 2-aminopurine (2AP) within the 2'-deoxyoligonucleotide 5'-d(CC[2AP]TCGCTACC) by intense nanosecond 308 nm excimer laser pulses was employed to simultaneously generate hydrated electrons and radical cations 2AP(*+). The latter radicals either in cationic or neutral forms, rapidly oxidize the nearby G base to form G(-H)(*). In deoxygenated buffer solutions (pH 7.5), the hydrated electrons rapidly reduce 13S-HPODE and the highly unstable alkoxyl radicals formed undergo a prompt beta-scission to pentyl radicals that readily combine with G(-H)(*). Two novel guanine products in these oligonucleotides, 8-pentyl- and N(2)-pentylguanine, were identified. It is shown that the DNA secondary structure significantly affects the ratio of 8-pentyl- and N(2)-pentylguanine lesions that changes from 0.9:1 in single-stranded, to 1:0.2 in double-stranded oligonucleotides. The alkylation of guanine by alkyl radicals derived from lipid hydroperoxides might contribute to the genotoxic modification of cellular DNA under hypoxic conditions. Thus, further research is warranted on the detection of pentylguanine lesions and other alkylguanines in vivo.

Absolute configurations of spiroiminodihydantoin and allantoin stereoisomers: comparison of computed and measured electronic circular dichroism spectra.

The assignment of absolute configurations is of critical importance for understanding the biochemical processing of DNA lesions. The diastereomeric spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp) lesions are oxidation products of guanine and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG), and the absolute configurations of the two diastereomers, Sp1 and Sp2, have been evaluated by experimental and computational optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) methods. In order to support our previous assignments by the ORD method, we calculated the electronic circular dichroism spectra (ECD) of the Sp stereoisomers. Comparison of the experimentally measured and computed ECD spectra indicates that Sp1 has (-)-S absolute configuration, while Sp2 has (+)-R absolute configuration. Thus, the S and R assignments, based on the ECD spectra of Sp1 and Sp2, are consistent with our previous assignments of absolute configurations. To further test the validity of this approach, we performed a proof-of-principle computation of the ECD and ORD of the R and S enantiomers of allantoin (similar in chemical composition to Sp) of known absolute configurations. The calculations provide the correct assignment of the absolute configurations of the allantoin enantiomers, indicating that the computational TDDFT approach is robust for identifying the absolute configurations of allantoins and probably the Sp stereoisomers, as has been shown previously for other organic molecules.

Intrastrand G-U cross-links generated by the oxidation of guanine in 5'-d(GCU) and 5'-r(GCU).

It has been suggested that carbonate radical anions are biologically important because they may be produced during the inflammatory response. The carbonate radicals can selectively oxidize guanine in DNA and RNA by one-electron transfer mechanisms and the guanine radicals thus formed decay by diverse competing pathways with other free radicals or nucleophiles. Using a photochemical method to generate CO(3)(-) radicals in vitro, we compare the distributions of products initiated by the one-electron oxidation of guanine in the trinucleotides 5'-r(GpCpU) and 5'-d(GpCpU) in aqueous buffer solutions (pH 7.5). Similar distributions of stable end products identified by LC-MS/MS methods were found in both cases. The guanine oxidation products include the diastereomeric pair of spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp) and 2,5-diamino-4H-imidazolone (Iz). In addition, intrastrand cross-linked products involving covalent bonds between the G and the U bases (GCU) were also found, although with different relative yields in the 2'-deoxy- and the ribotrinucleotides. The positive-ion MS/MS spectra of the 5'-r(GpCpU) and 5'-d(GpCpU) products clearly indicate the presence of covalently linked G-U products that have a mass smaller by 2 Da than the sum of the G and U bases in both types of trinucleotides. The 5'-d(GCU) cross-linked product was further characterized by 1D and 2D NMR methods that confirm its cyclic structure in which the guanine C8 atom is covalently linked to the uracil N3 atom.

Oxidation of guanine by carbonate radicals derived from photolysis of carbonatotetramminecobalt(III) complexes and the pH dependence of intrastrand DNA cross-links mediated by guanine radical reactions.

The carbonate radical anion CO(3)(*-) is a decomposition product of nitrosoperoxycarbonate derived from the combination of carbon dioxide and peroxynitrite, an important biological byproduct of the inflammatory response. The selective oxidation of guanine in DNA by CO(3)(*-) radicals is known to yield spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp) and guanidinohydantoin (Gh) products, and also a novel intrastrand cross-linked product: 5'-d(CCATCG*CT*ACC), featuring a linkage between guanine C8 (G*) and thymine N3 (T*) atoms in the oligonucleotide (Crean et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 2008, 36, 742-755). Involvement of the T-N3 (pK(a) of N3-H is 9.67) suggests that the formation of 5'-d(CCATCG*CT*ACC) might be pH-dependent. This hypothesis was tested by generating CO(3)(*-) radicals through the photodissociation of carbonatotetramminecobalt(III) complexes by steady-state UV irradiation, which allowed for studies of product yields in the pH 5.0-10.0 range. The yield of 5'-d(CCATCG*CT*ACC) at pH 10.0 is approximately 45 times greater than at pH 5.0; this is consistent with the proposed mechanism, which requires N3(H) thymine proton dissociation followed by nucleophilic addition to the C8 guanine radical.

Pathways of arachidonic acid peroxyl radical reactions and product formation with guanine radicals.

Peroxyl radicals were derived from the one-electron oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids by sulfate radicals that were generated by the photodissociation of peroxodisulfate anions in air-equilibrated aqueous solutions. Reactions of these peroxyl and neutral guanine radicals, also generated by oxidation with sulfate radicals, were investigated by laser kinetic spectroscopy, and the guanine oxidation products were identified by HPLC and mass spectrometry methods. Sulfate radicals rapidly oxidize arachidonic (ArAc), linoleic (LnAc), and palmitoleic (PmAc) acids with similar rate constants, (2-4) x 10 (9) M (-1) s (-1). The C-centered radicals derived from the oxidation of ArAc and LnAc include nonconjugated Rn(.) ( approximately 80%) and conjugated bis-allylic Rba(.) ( approximately 20%) radicals. The latter were detectable in the absence of oxygen by their prominent, narrow absorption band at 280 nm. The Rn(.) radicals of ArAc (containing three bis-allylic sites) transform to the Rba(.) radicals via an intramolecular H-atom abstraction [rate constant (7.5 +/- 0.7) x 10 (4) s (-1)]. In contrast, the Rn(.) radicals of LnAc that contain only one bis-allylic site do not transform intramolecularly to the Rba(.) radicals. In the case of PmAc, which contains only one double bond, the Rba(.) radicals are not observed. The Rn(.) radicals of PmAc rapidly combine with oxygen with a rate constant of (3.8 +/- 0.4) x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1). The Rba(.) radicals of ArAc are less reactive and react with oxygen with a rate constant of (2.2 +/- 0.2) x 10 (8) M (-1) s (-1). The ArAc peroxyl radicals formed spontaneously eliminate superoxide radical anions [rate constant = (3.4 +/- 0.3) x 10 (4) M (-1) s (-1)]. The stable oxidative lesions derived from the 2',3',5'-tri- O-acetylguanosine or 2',3',5'-tri- O-acetyl-8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine radicals and their subsequent reactions with ArAc peroxyl radicals were also investigated. The major products found were the 2,5-diamino-4 H-imidazolone (Iz), dehydroguanidinohydantoin (Gh ox), and diastereomeric spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp) nucleosides from 2',3',5'-tri- O-acetylguanosine and the Gh ox and Sp nucleosides from 2',3',5'-tri- O-acetyl-8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine. In air-saturated aqueous solutions, covalent alkylated guanine adducts were not detected.

Oxidation of single-stranded oligonucleotides by carbonate radical anions: generating intrastrand cross-links between guanine and thymine bases separated by cytosines.

The carbonate radical anion is a biologically important one-electron oxidant that can directly abstract an electron from guanine, the most easily oxidizable DNA base. Oxidation of the 5'-d(CCTACGCTACC) sequence by photochemically generated CO3*- radicals in low steady-state concentrations relevant to biological processes results in the formation of spiroiminodihydantoin diastereomers and a previously unknown lesion. The latter was excised from the oxidized oligonucleotides by enzymatic digestion with nuclease P1 and alkaline phosphatase and identified by LC-MS/MS as an unusual intrastrand cross-link between guanine and thymine. In order to further characterize the structure of this lesion, 5'-d(GpCpT) was exposed to CO3*- radicals, and the cyclic nature of the 5'-d(G*pCpT*) cross-link in which the guanine C8-atom is bound to the thymine N3-atom was confirmed by LC-MS/MS, 1D and 2D NMR studies. The effect of bridging C bases on the cross-link formation was studied in the series of 5'-d(GpC(n)pT) and 5'-d(TpC(n)pG) sequences with n = 0, 1, 2 and 3. Formation of the G*-T* cross-links is most efficient in the case of 5'-d(GpCpT). Cross-link formation (n = 0) was also observed in double-stranded DNA molecules derived from the self-complementary 5'-d(TTACGTACGTAA) sequence following exposure to CO3*- radicals and enzymatic excision of the 5'-d(G*pT*) product.

Assignment of absolute configurations of the enantiomeric spiroiminodihydantoin nucleobases by experimental and computational optical rotatory dispersion methods.

The diastereomeric spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp) lesions are oxidation products of guanine and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG) and have generated considerable interest because of their stereochemistry-dependent mutagenic properties in vivo (Henderson, P. T., et al. (2003) Biochemistry 42, 9257-9262). However, the absolute configurations of the two diastereomers have not yet been elucidated, and such information may prove valuable for understanding relationships between biological function and structure at the DNA level (Jia, L., Shafirovich, V., Shapiro, R., Geacintov, N. E., and Broyde, S. (2005) Biochemistry 44, 13342-13353). We have synthesized the two chiral Sp nucleobases by hydrolysis of the nucleosides denoted by dSp1 and dSp2 according to their elution order in HPLC experiments using a Hypercarb column, and determined their absolute configurations using a combination of experimentally measured optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) spectra in aqueous solutions and computed ORD specific rotations using density functional theory (DFT). Recent developments have shown that DFT methods are now sufficiently robust for predicting ORD values of chiral molecules (Polavarapu, P. L. (2002) Chirality 14, 768-781). The nucleobases Sp1 and Sp2 exhibit experimentally measured CD and ORD spectra that are very close to those of the respective precursor nucleosides dSp1 and dSp2 in shape and sign. The first nucleoside stereoisomer (dSp1) to elute from a typical Hypercarb HPLC column has (-)-S, while the second (dSp2) has (+)-R absolute configuration. The R and S assignments are applicable to the amino tautomeric forms in each case.

Combination of nitrogen dioxide radicals with 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine and guanine radicals in DNA: oxidation and nitration end-products.

The oxidation and nitration reactions in DNA associated with the combination of nitrogen dioxide radicals with 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoGua) and guanine radicals were explored by kinetic laser spectroscopy and mass spectrometry methods. The oxidation/nitration processes were triggered by photoexcitation of 2-aminopurine (2AP) residues site-specifically positioned in the 2'-deoxyribooligonucleotide 5'-d(CC[2AP]TC[X]CTACC) sequences (X = 8-oxoGua or G), by intense 308 nm excimer laser pulses. The photoionization products, 2AP radicals, rapidly oxidize either 8-oxoGua or G residues positioned within the same oligonucleotide but separated by a TC dinucleotide step on the 3'-side of 2AP. The two-photon ionization of the 2AP residue also generates hydrated electrons that are trapped by nitrate anions thus forming nitrogen dioxide radicals. The combination of nitrogen dioxide radicals with the 8-oxoGua and G radicals occurs with similar rate constants (approximately 4.3 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1)) in both single- and double-stranded DNA. In the case of 8-oxoGua, the major end-products of this bimolecular radical-radical addition are spiroiminodihydantoin lesions, the products of 8-oxoGua oxidation. Oxygen-18 isotope labeling experiments reveal that the O-atom in the spiroiminodihydantoin lesion originates from water molecules, not from nitrogen dioxide radicals. In contrast, combination of nitrogen dioxide and guanine neutral radicals generated under the same conditions results in the formation of the nitro products, 5-guanidino-4-nitroimidazole and 8-nitroguanine adducts. The mechanistic aspects of the oxidation/nitration processes and their biological implications are discussed.

Combination reactions of superoxide with 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine radicals in DNA: kinetics and end products.

One of the major biomarkers of oxidative stress and oxidative damage of cellular DNA is 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoGua), which is more easily oxidized than guanine to diverse oxidative products. In this work, we have investigated further oxidative transformations of 8-oxoGua in single- and double-stranded oligonucleotides to the dehydroguanidinohydantoin, oxaluric acid, and diastereomeric spiroiminodihydantoin lesions. The relative distributions of these end products were explored by a combined kinetic laser spectroscopy and mass spectrometry approach and are shown to depend markedly on the presence of superoxide radical anions. The 8-oxaGua radicals were produced by one-electron oxidation of 8-oxoGua by 2-aminopurine radicals generated by the two-photon ionization of 2-aminopurine residues site specifically positioned in 5'-d(CC[2-aminopurine]TC[8-oxoGua]CTACC). The hydrated electrons also formed in the photoionization process were trapped by dissolved molecular oxygen thus producing superoxide. A combination reaction between the 8-oxoGua and superoxide radicals occurs with the rate constant of (1.3 +/- 0.2) x 10(8) m(-1) s(-1) and (1.0 +/- 0.5) x 10(8) m(-1) s(-1) in single- and double-stranded DNA, respectively. The major end products of this reaction are the dehydroguanidinohydantoin lesions that slowly hydrolyze to oxaluric acid residues. In the presence of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase, an enzyme that induces the rapid catalytic dismutation of superoxide to the less reactive H(2)O(2) and O(2), the yields of the dehydroguanidinohydantion lesions become negligible. Under these conditions, the 8-oxoGua radicals do not exhibit any observable reactivities with oxygen (k < 10(2) m(-1) s(-1)), decay on the time interval of several seconds, and the major reaction products are the spiroiminodihydantoin lesions. The possible biological implications of the 8-oxoGua oxidation are discussed.

Synthesis of N3- and 2-NH2-substituted 6,7-diphenylpterins and their use as intermediates for the preparation of oligonucleotide conjugates designed to target photooxidative damage on single-stranded DNA representing the bcr-abl chimeric gene.

Two 17-mer oligodeoxynucleotide-5'-linked-(6,7-diphenylpterin) conjugates, 2 and 3, were prepared as photosensitisers for targeting photooxidative damage to a 34-mer DNA oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) fragment 1 representing the chimeric bcr-abl gene that is implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). The base sequence in the 17-mer was 3'G G T A G T T A T T C C T T C T T5'. In the first of these ODN conjugates (2) the pterin was attached at its N3 atom, via a -(CH2)3OPO(OH)- linker, to the 5'-OH group of the ODN. Conjugate 2 was prepared from 2-amino-3-(3-hydroxypropyl)-6,7-diphenyl-4(3H)-pteridinone 10, using phosphoramidite methodology. Starting material 10 was prepared from 5-amino-7-methylthiofurazano[3,4-d]pyrimidine 4 via an unusual highly resonance stabilised cation 8, incorporating the rare 2H,6H-pyrimido[6,1-b][1,3]oxazine ring system. In the characterisation of 10 two pteridine phosphazenes, 15 and 29, were obtained, as well as new products containing two uncommon tricyclic ring systems, namely pyrimido[2,1-b]pteridine (20 and 24) and pyrimido[1,2-c]pteridine (27). In the second ODN conjugate the linker was -(CH2)5CONH(CH2)6OPO(OH)- and was attached to the 2-amino group of the pterin. In the preparation of 3, the N-hydroxysuccinimide ester 37 of 2-(5-carboxypentylamino)-6,7-diphenyl-4(3H)-pteridinone was condensed with the hexylamino-modified 17-mer. Excitation of 36 with near UV light in the presence of the single-stranded target 34-mer, 5'T G A C C A T C A A T A A G14 G A A G18 A A G21 C C C T T C A G C G G C C3' 1 caused oxidative damage at guanine bases, leading to alkali-labile sites which were monitored by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Cleavage was observed at all guanine sites with a marked preference for cleavage at G14. In contrast, excitation of ODN-pteridine conjugate 2 in the presence of 1 caused oxidation of the latter predominantly at G18, with a smaller extent of cleavage at G15 and G14 (in the double-stranded portion) and G21. These results contrast with our previous observation of specific cleavage at G21 with ruthenium polypyridyl sensitisers, and suggest that a different mechanism, probably one involving Type 1 photochemical electron transfer, is operative. Much lower yields were found with the ODN-pteridine conjugate 3, perhaps as a consequence of the longer linker between the ODN and the pteridine in this case.

Oxidative DNA damage associated with combination of guanine and superoxide radicals and repair mechanisms via radical trapping.

In living tissues under inflammatory conditions, superoxide radicals (O(2)*)) are generated and are known to cause oxidative DNA damage. However, the mechanisms of action are poorly understood. It is shown here that the combination of O(2)* with guanine neutral radicals, G(-H)* in single- or double-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotides (rate constant of 4.7 +/- 1.0 x 10(8) m(-1) s(-1) in both cases), culminates in the formation of oxidatively modified guanine bases (major product, imidazolone; minor product, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine). The G(-H)* and O(2)* radicals were generated by intense 308 nm excimer laser pulses resulting in the one-electron oxidation and deprotonation of guanine in the 5'-d(CC[2AP]-TCGCTACC) strands and the trapping of the ejected electrons by molecular oxygen (Shafirovich, V., Dourandin, A., Huang, W., Luneva, N. P., and Geacintov, N. E. (2000) Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2, 4399-4408). The addition of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase, known to react rapidly with superoxide, dramatically enhances the life-times of guanine radicals from 4 to 7 ms to 0.2-0.6 s in the presence of 5 microm superoxide dismutase. Oxygen-18 isotope labeling experiments reveal two pathways of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine formation including either addition of O(2)* to the C-8 position of G(-H)* (in the presence of oxygen), or the hydration of G(-H)* (in the absence of oxygen). The formation of the guanine lesions via combination of guanine and superoxide radicals is greatly reduced in the presence of typical antioxidants such as trolox and catechol that rapidly regenerate guanine by the reductive "repair" of G(-H)* radicals. The mechanistic aspects of the radical reactions that either regenerate undamaged guanine in DNA or lead to oxidatively modified guanine bases are discussed.