Calix[4]arene-based Supramolecular Gels for Mercury Ion Removal in Water.

A calix[4]arene-based gelator 1, with lower-rim mono triazolylpyridine group, capable of spontaneous self-assembly into microspheres in different ethanol/H2 O mixtures, is synthesized. The concentration-dependent 1 H NMR spectra and X-ray single-crystal structure of 1 provided evidence for self-assembly of gelator 1 via cooperative interactions of intermolecular noncovalent forces. Furthermore, metallogels by self-assembly of 1 was found to exhibit remarkable selectivity toward Hg2+ ions. 1 H NMR spectra support that Hg2+ ion was bound to the nitrogen atoms of two coordination sites of 1, which composed of triazole and pyridine. Moreover, the results of field emission scanning electron microscopy and rheology experiments indicated that Hg2+ ions not only enhanced the gelling ability of gelator 1 in ethanol but also led to morphological change of its self-assembly through metal-ligand interactions. Finally, the in situ gelation, triggered by mixing a gelator solution of 1 in ethanol with water samples such as deionized (DI), tap, and lake water, leads to the effective removal of Hg(II) from a water sample which reduced from 400 to 1.6 ppm.

Palladium-Mediated C(sp3)-H Bond Activation of N-Methyl-N-(pyridin-2-yl)benzamide: Direct Arylation/Alkylation and Mechanistic Investigation.

Herein, we present a facile synthetic methodology to produce a range of N-(CH2-aryl/alkyl)-substituted N-(pyridin-2-yl)benzamides via palladium-mediated C(sp3)-H bond activation. The N-methyl-N-(pyridin-2-yl)benzamide precursor was first reacted with palladium(II) acetate in a stoichiometric manner to obtain the key dinuclear palladacycle intermediates, whose structures were elucidated by mass spectrometric, NMR spectroscopic, and X-ray crystallographic studies in detail. The subsequent C(sp3)-H bond functionalizations on the N-methyl group of the starting substrate show facile productions of the corresponding N-(CH2-aryl/alkyl)-substituted N-(pyridin-2-yl)benzamides with good functional group tolerance. A plausible mechanism was proposed based on density functional theory calculations in conjunction with kinetic isotope effect experiments. Finally, the synthetic transformation from the prepared N-(CH2-aryl)-N-(pyridin-2-yl)benzamides through debenzoylation to N-(CH2-aryl)-2-aminopyridine was successfully demonstrated.

Isolable Tin(II) Hydrides Featuring Sterically Undemanding Pincer-Type Ligands and Their Dehydrogenative Sn-Sn Bond Forming Reactions to Distannynes Promoted by Lewis Acidic Tri-sec-butylborane.

Unlike isolable tin(II) hydrides supported by bulky ligands reported in the literature, this research describes the synthesis and characterization of thermally stable tin(II) hydrides LPhSnH (1-H) and MeLSnH (2-H) stabilized by sterically undemanding N,N,N-coordinating pincer-type ligands (LPh = 2,5-dipyridyl-3,4-diphenylpyrrolato; MeL = 2,5-bis(6-methylpyridyl)pyrrolato). The results from previous reports reveal that attempts to access tin(II) hydrides containing less-bulky ligands have had limited success, and decomposition to tin(I) distannynes often occurs. The key to the successful isolation of 1-H and 2-H is the identification of the role of Lewis acidic BsBu3, generated upon delivering hydride from commonly used hydride reagents M[BsBu3H] ("selectrides", M = Li or K). This study details compelling experimental evidence and theoretical results of the role played by BsBu3, which catalyzes the dehydrocoupling reactions of 1-H and 2-H to yield tin(I) distannynes LPhSn-SnLPh (12) and MeLSn-SnMeL (22) with the liberation of H2. To avoid the interference of BsBu3, 1-H and 2-H can be isolated in pure forms using pinacolborane as the hydride donor with LPhSnOMe (1-OMe) and MeLSnOMe (2-OMe) as reactants, respectively. DFT calculations and experimental observations indicate that the coordination of the Sn-H bond of 1-H to BsBu3 leaves an electrophilic tin center, rendering the nucleophilic attack by the second equivalent of 1-H forming a Sn-Sn bond.

The Anti-Cancer Activity of Pentamidine and Its Derivatives (WLC-4059) Is through Blocking the Interaction between S100A1 and RAGE V Domain.

The S100A1 protein in humans is a calcium-binding protein. Upon Ca2+ binding to S100A1 EF-hand motifs, the conformation of S100A1 changes and promotes interactions with target proteins. RAGE consists of three domains: the cytoplasmic, transmembrane, and extracellular domains. The extracellular domain consists of C1, C2, and V domains. V domains are the primary receptors for the S100 protein. It was reported several years ago that S100A1 and RAGE V domains interact in a pathway involving S100A1-RAGE signaling, whereby S100A1 binds to the V domain, resulting in RAGE dimerization. The autophosphorylation of the cytoplasmic domain initiates a signaling cascade that regulates cell proliferation, cell growth, and tumor formation. In this study, we used pentamidine and a newly synthesized pentamidine analog (WLC-4059) to inhibit the S100A1-RAGE V interaction. 1H-15N HSQC NMR titration was carried out to characterize the interaction between mS100A1 (mutant S100A1, C86S) and pentamidine analogs. We found that pentamidine analogs interact with S100A1 via 1H-15N HSQC NMR spectroscopy. Based on the results, we utilized the HADDOCK program to generate structures of the mS100A1-WLC-4059 binary complex. Interestingly, the binary complex overlapped with the complex crystal structure of the mS100A1-RAGE-V domain, proving that WLC-4059 blocks interaction sites between S100A1 and RAGE-V. A WST-1 cell proliferation assay also supported these results. We conclude that pentamidine analogs could potentially enhance therapeutic approaches against cancers.

1,3-Alternate Calix[4]arene Functionalized With Pyrazole and Triazole Ligands as a Highly Selective Fluorescent Sensor for Hg2+ and Ag+ Ions.

We report here the synthesis of a 1,3-alternate calix[4]arene 8, with bis-pyrazolylmethylpyrenes on the one end and bis-triazolylmethylphenyls on the other end, as a homoditropic fluorescent sensor for both Hg2+ and Ag+ ions. Calix[4]arene 3, with lower-rim bis-pyrazolylmethylpyrenes in cone conformation, was also synthesized as a control compound. UV-Vis and fluorescence spectra were used for metal ions screening, and we found that both ligands 8 and 3 showed strong excimer emission of pyrenes when they are as a free ligand in CHCl3/MeOH (v/v, 3:1) solution; however, they both showed a high selectivity toward Hg2+ and Ag+ ions with strong fluorescence quenching and yet with different binding ratios. The fluorescence of ligand 8 was strongly quenched by Hg2+ but was only partially quenched by Ag+ ions; however, the fluorescence of ligand 3 was strongly quenched by Hg2+, Ag+, and Cu2+ ions. Job plot experiments showed that ligand 8 formed a 1:2 complex with both Hg2+ and Ag+ ions; ligand 3 formed a 1:1 complex with Hg2+, but it formed a 2:3 complex with Ag+. The binding constant of ligand 3 with Hg2+ and Ag+ ions was determined by the Benesi-Hildebrand plot of UV-vis titration experiments to be 2.99 × 103 and 3.83 × 103 M-1, respectively, while the association constant of ligand 8 with Hg2+ and Ag+ was determined by Hill plot to be 1.46 × 1012 and 9.24 × 1011 M-2, respectively. Ligand 8 forms a strong complex with either two Hg2+ or two Ag+ ions using both the upper and lower rims of the 1,3-alternate calix[4]arene as the binding pockets; hence, it represents one of the highly selective fluorescent sensors for the homoditropic sensing of Hg2+ and Ag+ ions.

Cascade In Situ Phosphorylation and One-Pot Glycosylation for Rapid Synthesis of Heptose-Containing Oligosaccharides.

We report a one-pot glycosylation strategy for achieving rapid syntheses of heptose (Hep)-containing oligosaccharides. The reported procedure was designed to incorporate an in situ phosphorylation step into an orthogonal one-pot glycosylation. Hep-containing oligosaccharides were assembled directly from building blocks with minimal effort expended on manipulation of protecting and aglycone leaving groups. The utility of our one-pot procedure was illustrated by synthesizing partial core oligosaccharide structure present in the lipopolysaccharide of Ralstonia solanacearum.

Skeletally Diverse Synthesis of Innovative [2,1-c]-1,4-Oxazepine and [1,4]-Quinoxaline Systems.

An efficient, innovative synthesis of [2,1-c]-1, 4-oxazepine and [1,4]-quinoxaline heterocycles along with the embodied pyrimido-pyrrolo motifs was established. Initially, the pyrrole ring was installed using microwave irradiation through an intramolecular base-catalyzed cyclization between acetyl bromomethyl pyrimidine dione and o-amino phenyl methanol or o-phenylenediamine methyl benzoates. Furthermore, oxazepine, and quinoxaline scaffolds were constructed by an acid-catalyzed condensation with a variety of aldehydes by an unconventional Pictet-Spengler reaction strategy. An important aspect of this work is to build novel heterocyclic ring systems with potential medicinal interest.

Study of urinary 2-{[2-(acetylamino-2-carboxyethyl]sulfanyl}butanedioic acid, a mercapturic acid of rats treated with maleic acid.

Maleic anhydride was reported illegally adulterated into starch to prepare traditional foods for decades in Taiwan. Maleic acid (MA), hydrolyzed from maleic anhydride, could cause kidney damages to animals. The potential health effects due to long-term MA exposures through food consumption have been of great concerns. Assessment of the dietary MA exposures could be very difficult and complicated. One of the alternatives is to analyze an MA-specific biomarker to assess the daily total MA intake. Therefore, this paper aimed to study the mercapturic acid of MA, 2-{[2-(acetylamino)-2-carboxyethyl]sulfanyl}butanedioic acid (MAMA), with our newly-developed isotope-dilution online solid-phase extraction liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (ID-SPE-LC-MS/MS) method. MAMA was first synthesized, purified, and characterized with NMR to reveal two diastereomers and used for developing the analytical method. The method was validated to reveal excellent sensitivity with a LOD at 16.3ng/mL and a LOQ at 20.6ng/mL and used to analyze MAMA in urine samples collected from Sprague-Dawley rats treated with a single dose of 0mg/kg, 6mg/kg, and 60mg/kg (n=5) of MA through gavage. Our results show dose-dependent increases in urinary MAMA contents, and 70% MAMA was excreted within 12h with no gender differences (p>0.05). A half life of urinary MAMA was estimated at 6.8h for rat. The formation of urinary MAMA validates it as a chemically-specific biomarker for current MA exposure. Future study of MA metabolism in vivo will elucidate mechanisms of MAMA formation, and analysis of this marker in epidemiology studies could help to shed light on the causal effects of MA on human.

Synthesis, characterization and analysis of the acrylamide- and glycidamide-glutathione conjugates.

Acrylamide (AA) is reported present in high-temperature-processed food and classified as a possible human carcinogen. In vivo metabolic activation of AA by CYP 2E1 to glycidamide (GA) may play an important role on AA carcinogenicity. AA and GA can be detoxified by glutathione-S-transferase to form AA and isomeric GA glutathione conjugates (AA-, GA2- and GA3-GSH, respectively), which can be further metabolized to mercapturic acids (MAs). Although many studies analyzed MAs in urine of rodents and humans, few studies have characterized and analyzed the GSH conjugates. The objectives of this study were to synthesize, purify, and characterize AA-GSH, GA2-GSH, GA3-GSH, ((13)C3)-AA-GSH, ((13)C3)-GA2-GSH, and ((13)C3)-GA3-GSH to develop an isotope-dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to analyze AA- and GA-GSHs in blood of rats treated with AA. After purification and characterization of these conjugates, the LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated. This method reveals a limit of detection (S/N=3) at 0.017 and a limit of quantitation (S/N=10) at 0.05ng/mL of serum for AA-GSH, 0.075 and 0.25ng/mL for GA2-GSH, and 0.15 and 0.5ng/mL for GA3-GSH. Analyzed with this method, AA-GSH, GA2-GSH and GA3-GSH were 1651.1±374.5, 18.4±6.3 and 75.3±31.3ng/mL in blood of male rats at 2h after treatment with 5mg/kgbw of AA by ip injection. These results showed that the LC-MS/MS method was successfully developed to analyze AA-GSH, GA2-GSH and GA3-GSH with satisfying sensitivity of AA and GA which were conjugated by glutathione in vivo.

Biscalix[4]arene derivative as a very efficient phase selective gelator for oil spill recovery.

A biscalixarene framework, without long alkyl chains, has been readily synthesized in three steps starting from the parent calix[4]arene. The biscalix[4]arene 1 was able to form organogels in various alcoholic solvents; furthermore, it exhibited an excellent phase selective gelation property that is potentially useful in oil spill recovery.

Evolution of nano- to microsized spherical assemblies of fluorogenic biscalix[4]arenes into supramolecular organogels.

A biscalix[4]arene ( capable of spontaneous self-assembly into nanoparticles and microspheres in CH3CN was serendipitously observed, and it eventually formed stable blue-light emitting supramolecular organogels.

In vivo formation of N7-guanine DNA adduct by safrole 2',3'-oxide in mice.

Safrole, a naturally occurring product derived from spices and herbs, has been shown to be associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in rodents. Safrole 2',3'-oxide (SFO), an electrophilic metabolite of safrole, was shown to react with DNA bases to form detectable DNA adducts in vitro, but not detected in vivo. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the formation of N7-(3-benzo[1,3]dioxol-5-yl-2-hydroxypropyl)guanine (N7γ-SFO-Gua) resulting from the reaction of SFO with the most nucleophilic site of guanine in vitro and in vivo with a newly developed isotope-dilution high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method. N7γ-SFO-Gua and [(15)N(5)]-N7-(3-benzo[1,3]dioxol-5-yl-2-hydroxypropyl)guanine ([(15)N(5)]-N7γ-SFO-Gua) were first synthesized, purified, and characterized. The HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method was developed to measure N7γ-SFO-Gua in calf thymus DNA treated with 60 µmol of SFO for 72 h and in urine samples of mice treated with a single dose of SFO (30 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally). In calf thymus DNA, the level of N7γ-SFO-Gua was 2670 adducts per 10(6)nucleotides. In urine of SFO-treated mice, the levels of N7γ-SFO-Gua were 1.02±0.14 ng/mg creatinine (n=4) on day 1, 0.73±0.68 ng/mg creatinine (n=4) on day 2, and below the limit of quantitation on day 3. These results suggest that SFO can cause in vivo formation of N7γ-SFO-Gua, which may then be rapidly depurinated from the DNA backbone and excreted through urine.

Synthesis of 9,10-bis-ketoenaminoanthryl and 9,10-bis-isoxazolylanthryl linked biscalix[4]arenes: atropisomers and molecular recognitions.

An efficient synthetic pathway for the synthesis of biscalix[4]arenes 5-10 using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions is reported. Biscalix[4]arene 10 is capable of forming a complex with methyl viologen because of favorable cation-π interactions and a proper cavity size to accommodate the guest. Moreover, biscalix[4]arenes 8a and 8b were found to be atropisomers at room temperature. These two conformers were unable to exchange at room temperature because of the restricted rotation of the C(9)-C(11) or C(10)-C(12) bonds of the ß-amino-α,ß-unsaturated ketones of anthracene.

Safrole-2',3'-oxide induces cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in HepG2 cells and in mice.

Safrole-2',3'-oxide (SAFO) is a reactive electrophilic metabolite of the hepatocarcinogen safrole, the main component of sassafras oil. Safrole occurs naturally in a variety of spices and herbs, including the commonly used Chinese medicine Xi xin (Asari Radix et Rhizoma) and Dong quai (Angelica sinensis). SAFO is the most mutagenic metabolite of safrole tested in the Ames test. However, little or no data are available on the genotoxicity of SAFO in mammalian systems. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of SAFO in human HepG2 cells and male FVB mice. Using MTT assay, SAFO exhibited a dose- and time-dependent cytotoxic effect in HepG2 cells with TC(50) values of 361.9µM and 193.2µM after 24 and 48h exposure, respectively. In addition, treatment with SAFO at doses of 125µM and higher for 24h in HepG2 cells resulted in a 5.1-79.6-fold increase in mean Comet tail moment by the alkaline Comet assay and a 2.6-7.8-fold increase in the frequency of micronucleated binucleated cells by the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay. Furthermore, repeated intraperitoneal administration of SAFO (15, 30, 45, and 60mg/kg) to mice every other day for a total of twelve doses caused a significant dose-dependent increase in mean Comet tail moment in peripheral blood leukocytes (13.3-43.4-fold) and in the frequency of micronucleated reticulocytes (1.5-5.8-fold). Repeated administration of SAFO (60mg/kg) to mice caused liver lesions manifested as a rim of ballooning degeneration of hepatocytes immediately surrounding the central vein. Our data clearly demonstrate that SAFO significantly induced cytotoxicity, DNA strand breaks, micronuclei formation both in human cells in vitro and in mice. More studies are needed to explore the role SAFO plays in safrole-induced genotoxicity.

Inherently chiral biscalix[4]arenes: design and syntheses.

Inherently chiral biscalix[4]arenes have been designed and synthesized by covalently assembling two calix[4]arene building blocks in a 1,3-position linking with 1,2-position pattern at the lower rims via two triethylene glycol bridges.

Characterization of DNA--protein cross-links induced by oxanine: cellular damage derived from nitric oxide and nitrous acid.

Reactive nitrogen species are implicated in inflammatory diseases and cancers. Oxanine (Oxa) is a DNA lesion derived from the guanine base with nitric oxide, nitrous acid, or N-nitrosoindoles. It was shown by gel electrophoresis that oxanine mediated the formation of DNA-protein cross-links (DPCs) with DNA-binding proteins and in the cell extract. Although 2'-deoxyoxanosine was shown to react with amines including the N-terminal amino group of glycine, the structures of DNA-protein cross-links induced by oxanine have not been characterized. In this study, we find that the thiol group of the amino acid side chain is reactive toward oxanine, forming a thioester. Two reaction products of oxanine, namely, the thioester and the amide adducts, with the endogenous tripeptide glutathione (GSH) as a model protein were characterized on the basis of their UV, NMR (1H- and 13C-), and mass spectra. Interestingly, the disulfide GSSG also reacts with oxanine, forming the thioester adduct. The thioester and the amide adducts are generated when GSH and GSSG react with oxanine-containing calf thymus DNA, and they might be possible forms of cellular DPCs. Because the repair mechanism of DPCs is not extensively investigated, the characterization of oxanine-derived DPC structures should shed light on their detection in vivo and on their biological consequences.