Moisture determination of tritium tracers utilizing near-infrared spectroscopy.

Tritium tracers are frequently used in biological assays during the drug discovery process because of their high specific activity and relative ease of synthesis. However, this high specific activity, along with other contributing factors, can lead to an increased rate of radiolytic decomposition. As a result, following long-term storage tritium tracers often require purification. Understanding the elements that cause radiolytic decomposition is extremely important to extend the storage life, and consequently reduce unnecessary inventory purifications. One of these elements is the presence of water in tritium tracers. Upon investigation, it was discovered that aside from the relatively common tritium/water exchange that could occur, residual water could also contribute significantly to the decomposition of tritium tracers. A near-infrared method was developed utilizing a portable device to measure the water content in tritium tracers rapidly and without sample destruction. This method proved to be quick, efficient, and achieved an error less than 5% compared to that of traditional Karl Fischer titration. Method validation was performed and good accuracy, linearity, limit of detection and quantitation were all established.

PABA/NO as an anticancer lead: analogue synthesis, structure revision, solution chemistry, reactivity toward glutathione, and in vitro activity.

PABA/NO is a diazeniumdiolate of structure Me(2)NN(O)=NOAr (where Ar is a 5-substituted-2,4-dinitrophenyl ring whose 5-substituent is N-methyl-p-aminobenzoic acid). It has shown activity against human ovarian cancer xenografts in mice rivaling that of cisplatin, but it is poorly soluble and relatively unstable in water. Here we report structure-based optimization efforts resulting in three analogues with improved solubility and stability in aqueous solution. We sought to explain PABA/NO's physicochemical uniqueness among these four compounds, whose aminobenzoic acid precursors differ structurally only in the presence or absence of the N-methyl group and/or the position of the carboxyl moiety (meta or para). Studies revealed that PABA/NO's N-methyl-p-aminobenzoic acid substituent is bound to the dinitrobenzene ring via its carboxyl oxygen while the other three are linked through the aniline nitrogen. This constitutes a revision of the previously published PABA/NO structure. All four analogues reacted with GSH to produce bioactive nitric oxide (NO), but PABA/NO was the most reactive. Consistent with PABA/NO's potent suppression of A2780 human ovarian cancer xenograft growth in mice, it was the most potent of the four in the OVCAR-3 cell line.

Injectable formulation of disodium 1-[2-(carboxylato)pyrrolidin-1-yl]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (PROLI/NO), an ultrafast nitric oxide donor prodrug.

PROLI/NO is an agent of structure XN(O)==NONa (X = L-prolyl) whose 2-s half-life for nitric oxide (NO) release at physiological pH makes it an excellent prodrug for localizing NO's therapeutic effects at the site of application, but a difficult one to formulate and certify as pure. Despite its extraordinary thermal and hydrolytic instability, however, PROLI/NO could be formulated as an injectable drug by dissolving it in cold 0.1 M sodium hydroxide containing 5% D-mannitol, then quickly ultrafiltering and lyophilizing it in evacuated septum vials. No evidence for decomposition was seen in the contents of these evacuated vials when stored at -20 degrees C over a 140-day observation period, as judged by quantifying NO release in simulated infusate solutions (10 mM carbonate/bicarbonate, pH 10.5). The only hydrolysis products detected were NO, nitrite ion, proline, and N-nitrosoproline, all products of normal human physiological processes.

JS-K, a glutathione/glutathione S-transferase-activated nitric oxide donor of the diazeniumdiolate class with potent antineoplastic activity.

We have previously shown that nitric oxide (NO) inhibits growth and induces differentiation and apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia cells, with the HL-60 human myeloid leukemia line being particularly sensitive to NO-mediated cytolysis. With the goal of identifying a prodrug that can target NO to the leukemia cells without inducing NO-mediated systemic hypotension, we have screened a series of O(2)-aryl diazeniumdiolates designed to be stable at physiological pH but to release NO upon reaction with glutathione. O(2)-(2,4-Dinitrophenyl) 1-[(4-ethoxycarbonyl)piperazin-1-yl]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (JS-K) proved to be the most active antiproliferative agent among those tested in HL-60 cells, with an IC(50) of 0.2-0.5 microM. After 5 days of exposure to 0.5 micro M JS-K, HL-60 cells had differentiated and acquired some of the phenotypic features of normal monocytes. One- to 2-day treatment with JS-K at concentrations of 0.5-1 microM resulted in apoptosis induction in a concentration- and caspase-dependent manner. JS-K also inhibited the growth of solid tumor cell lines but to a lesser extent than HL-60 cells. JS-K was administered i.v. to nonobese diabetic-severe combined immune deficient mice at doses of up to 4 micromol/kg without inducing significant hypotension. The growth of s.c. implanted HL-60 cells was reduced by approximately 50% when the mice received i.v. injections three times/week with 4 micromol/kg boluses of JS-K. Histological examination of tumor explants from JS-K-treated animals revealed extensive necrosis. Similar results were seen with s.c. human prostate cancer (PPC-1) xenografts. Our data indicate that JS-K is a promising lead compound for the possible development of a novel class of antineoplastic agents.

Stable isotope dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry method for endogenous 2- and 4-hydroxyestrones in human urine.

A sensitive, precise and accurate stable isotope dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry method has been developed for measuring endogenous 2- and 4-hydroxyestrones, the main catechol estrogens in human urine. Compared to the published methods using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, this approach simplifies sample preparation and increases the throughput of analysis. The unique part of our method is the use of a simple and rapid derivatization step that forms a hydrazone at the C-17 carbonyl group of catechol estrogens. This derivatization step has greatly enhanced method sensitivity as well as HPLC separability of 2- and 4-hydroxyestrones. Standard curves were linear over a 100-fold calibration range with correlation coefficients for the linear regression curves typically greater than 0.996. The lower limit of quantitation for each catechol estrogen is 1 ng per 10-ml urine sample, with an accuracy of 97-99% and overall precision, including the hydrolysis, extraction and derivatization steps, of 1-3% for samples prepared concurrently and 2-11% for samples prepared in several batches. This method is adequate for measuring the low endogenous levels of catechol estrogens in urine from postmenopausal women.

Chemistry of the diazeniumdiolates: Z right harpoon over left harpoon E isomerism.

Here, we explore the chemistry of the previously undocumented E form of diazeniumdiolates having the structure R(1)R(2)NN(O)=NOR(3). Reported crystallographic studies have uniformly revealed the Z configuration, and our attempts to observe a Z --> E conversion through thermal equilibration or photochemical means have, until now, consistently failed to reveal a significant amount of a second conformer. As a typical example, the NMR spectrum of trimethyl derivative Me(2)NN(O)=NOMe revealed no evidence for a second configuration. Electronic structure calculations attribute this finding to a prohibitively high interconversion barrier of approximately 40 kcal/mol. A similar result was obtained when we considered the case of R(1) = Me = R(3) and R(2) = H at the same levels of theory. However, when MeHNN(O)=NOMe was ionized by dissociating the N-H bond, the barrier was calculated to be lower by approximately 20 kcal/mol, with the E form of the anion being favored over Z. This circumstance suggested that an E isomer might be isolable if a Z anion were formed and given sufficient time to assume the E configuration, then quenched by reaction with an electrophile to trap and neutralize the E form and restore the putatively high interconversion barrier. Consistent with this prediction, basifying iPrHNN(O)=NOCH(2)CH(2)Br rapidly led to a six-membered heterocycle that was crystallographically characterized as containing the -N(O)=NO- functional group in the E configuration. The results suggest an approach for generating pairs of Z and E diazeniumdiolates for systematic comparison of the rates at which the individual isomers release bioactive NO and of other physicochemical determinants of their biomedical utility.

Measuring seven endogenous ketolic estrogens simultaneously in human urine by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A rapid, sensitive, and specific high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-multistage mass spectrometry (MS) method for measuring endogenous ketolic estrogen metabolites in human urine has been developed. The method requires a single hydrolysis/extraction/derivatization step and only 2.5 mL of urine, yet is able to simultaneously quantify estrone and its 2-methoxy and 2-, 4-, and 16alpha-hydroxy derivatives, 16-ketoestradiol, and 2-hydroxyestrone-3-methyl ether metabolites. The combination of a simple hydrazone derivatization step with multistage MS greatly enhances the sensitivity and specificity of the analysis of endogenous estrogen within human urine. Standard curves are linear over a 100-fold concentration range with linear regression correlation coefficients typically greater than 0.99. The lower limit of quantitation for each ketolic estrogen is 0.2 ng/2.5-mL urine sample (10 pg on column), with an accuracy of 93-103% and an overall precision, including the hydrolysis, extraction, and derivatization steps, of 1-13% relative standard derivation (RSD) for samples prepared concurrently and 8-16% RSD for samples prepared in separate batches. This method also allows for the identification of 2-hydroxyestrone-3-methyl ether in urine obtained from both pre- and postmenopausal women. This potentially protective estrogen metabolite has been previously reported only in the urine of pregnant women. Since individual patterns of estrogen metabolism may influence the risk of breast cancer, accurate and specific measurement of estrogen metabolites in biological matrixes will facilitate future research on breast cancer prevention, screening, and treatment.

Qualitative thin-layer and high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of 1-substituted diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolates on aminopropyl-bonded silica gel.

High-performance liquid (HPLC) and thin-layer (TLC) chromatographic methods for the detection and quantification of diazeniumdiolates are described. The HPLC determinations were made using a Rocket Platinum NH2 column (7 x 53 mm, 100-A pore size, 3-microm particle size), under isocratic conditions with mixtures of acetonitrile, methanol, and water containing 0.1% diethylamine (v/v), at a flow rate of 2.5 ml/min, a column temperature of 22 degrees C, and UV detection at 250 nm. The TLC determinations were similarly made using Merck NH2 F254S precoated glass plates (approximately 2 x 5 cm, 5-microm particle size, 0.2-mm layer thickness) with mixtures of acetonitrile, methanol, and water containing 0.1% diethylamine (v/v). Preexisting traces of carcinogenic nitrosamines were detected in some samples of diazeniumdiolates. The methods provide a more efficient means of characterizing the purity of diazeniumdiolate samples prepared for use in biomedical applications than older procedures which rely on differential absorbance measurements at 250 and 350 nm, respectively.