Further investigations into the N-demethylation of oripavine using iron and stainless steel.

Further investigations into the direct synthesis of N-nororipavine from oripavine using iron powder under non-classical Polonovski conditions have been conducted. The stoichiometry, solvents and iron oxidation rates were found to have a dramatic effect on the rate of N-demethylation as well as product yield. Herein, we also present high-yield access to the N-demethylated product simply by employing stainless steel rather than iron powder as redox catalyst. To our knowledge, this is the first time stainless steel has been used to moderate the redox chemistry of iron in organic synthesis.

Two-step iron(0)-mediated N-demethylation of N-methyl alkaloids.

A mild and simple two-step Fe(0)-mediated N-demethylation of a number of tertiary N-methyl alkaloids is described. The tertiary N-methylamine is first oxidized to the corresponding N-oxide, which is isolated as the hydrochloride salt. Subsequent treatment of the N-oxide hydrochloride with iron powder readily provides the N-demethylated amine. Representative substrates include a number of opiate and tropane alkaloids. Key intermediates in the synthesis of semisynthetic 14-hydroxy pharmaceutical opiates such as oxycodone and oxymorphone are also readily N-demethylated using this method.

N-demethylation of N-methyl alkaloids with ferrocene.

Under Polonovski-type conditions, ferrocene has been found to be a convenient and efficient catalyst for the N-demethylation of a number of N-methyl alkaloids such as opiates and tropanes. By judicious choice of solvent, good yields have been obtained for dextromethorphan, codeine methyl ether, and thebaine. The current methodology is also successful for the N-demethylation of morphine, oripavine, and tropane alkaloids, producing the corresponding N-nor compounds in reasonable yields. Key pharmaceutical intermediates such oxycodone and oxymorphone are also readily N-demethylated using this approach.

Rapid restoration of cognition in Alzheimer's transgenic mice with 8-hydroxy quinoline analogs is associated with decreased interstitial Abeta.

As a disease-modifying approach for Alzheimer's disease (AD), clioquinol (CQ) targets beta-amyloid (Abeta) reactions with synaptic Zn and Cu yet promotes metal uptake. Here we characterize the second-generation 8-hydroxy quinoline analog PBT2, which also targets metal-induced aggregation of Abeta, but is more effective as a Zn/Cu ionophore and has greater blood-brain barrier permeability. Given orally to two types of amyloid-bearing transgenic mouse models of AD, PBT2 outperformed CQ by markedly decreasing soluble interstitial brain Abeta within hours and improving cognitive performance to exceed that of normal littermate controls within days. Nontransgenic mice were unaffected by PBT2. The current data demonstrate that ionophore activity, inhibition of in vitro metal-mediated Abeta reactions, and blood-brain barrier permeability are indices that predict a potential disease-modifying drug for AD. The speed of recovery of the animals underscores the acutely reversible nature of the cognitive deficits associated with transgenic models of AD.