Synthesis of novel S- and O-disaccharide analogs of heparan sulfate for heparanase inhibition.

Heparan sulfate (HS), a glycosaminoglycan related to heparin, is a linear polysaccharide, consisting of repeating disaccharide units. This compound is involved in multiple biological processes such as inflammation, coagulation, angiogenesis and viral infections. Our work focuses on the synthesis of simple HS analogs for the study of structure-activity relationships, with the aim of modulating these biological activities. Thioglycoside analogs, in which the interglycosidic oxygen is replaced by a sulfur atom, are very interesting compounds in terms of therapeutic applications. Indeed, the thioglycosidic bond leads to an improvement of their stability and can allow the inhibition of enzymes involved in physiological and pathological processes. In our previous work, we developed a synthetic sequence which led to a non-sulfated thiodisaccharide analog of HS. In this paper, we report our results of the development of a new synthetic method allowing access to the novel sulfated S-disaccharide, as well as to their oxygenated analogues (O-disaccharide and sulfated O-disaccharide). These 4 compounds were also tested for the inhibition of heparanase, an enzyme involved in biological processes like tumor growth and inflammation. The obtained IC50 values in the micromolar range showed the impact of the interglycosidic sulfur atom and the 6-sulfate group.

Phototransformations of 2-(1,2,4-Triazol-3-yl)benzoic Acid in Low Temperature Matrices.

Phototransformations of 2-(1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)benzoic acid induced by tunable UV laser were studied in low temperature matrices by FTIR spectroscopy. Out of 36 possible isomers of this molecule the most stable one, comprising the intramolecular N-H···O hydrogen bond, was detected experimentally in argon and xenon matrices after deposition. Upon irradiation with λ = 325 nm, two new conformers of the precursor were formed. The corresponding reverse photorotamerizations were also detected at 250 nm partly reproducing the initial molecules. In addition to the conformational changes, an interesting photoisomerization took place in the studied matrices leading to a proton transfer from N atom of the triazole ring to the carbonyl oxygen of the carboxylic group. As a result of this reaction, a new product with two OH groups was identified for the first time. The experimental studies were supported by DFT calculations in both ground and excited electronic states.

The OH-Initiated Oxidation of CS2 in the Presence of NO: FTIR Matrix-Isolation and Theoretical Studies.

We studied the photochemistry of the carbon disulfide-nitrous acid system with the help of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) matrix isolation spectroscopy and theoretical methods. The irradiation of the CS2···HONO complexes, isolated in solid argon, with the filtered output of the mercury lamp (λ > 345 nm) was found to produce OCS, SO2, and HNCS; HSCN was also tentatively identified. The (13)C, (15)N, and (2)H isotopic shifts as well as literature data were used for product identifications. The evolution of the measured FTIR spectra with irradiation time and the changes in the spectra after matrix annealing indicated that the identified molecules are the products of different reaction channels: OCS being a product of another reaction path than SO2 and HNCS or HSCN. The possible reaction channels between SC(OH)S/SCS(OH) radicals and NO were studied using DFT/B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ method. The SC(OH)S and/or SCS(OH) intermediates are formed when HONO attached to CS2 photodissociates into OH and NO. The calculations indicated that SC(OH)S radical can form with NO two stable adducts. The more stable SC(OH)S···NO structure is a reactant for a simple one-step process leading to OCS and HONS molecules. An alternative, less-stable complex formed between SC(OH)S and NO leads to formation of OCS and HSNO. The calculations predict only one stable complex between SCS(OH) radical and NO, which can dissociate along two channels leading to HNCS and SO2 or HSCN and SO2 as the end products. The identified photoproducts indicate that both SC(OH)S and SCS(OH) adducts are intermediates in the CS2 + OH + NO reaction leading to different reaction products.

Clustering of sulfamic acid: ESI MS and theoretical study.

Sulfamic acid has wide application in industry and has been suggested to act as an effective nucleation agent for the formation of aerosols and cloud particles. From the point of view of the role that sulfamic acid may play in aerosol formation, the study of its homoaggregation is important. Gas phase clustering study was performed for sulfamic acid H3N·SO3, (ASA), from water and methanol-water solutions, by help of a TOF-Q spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionization source, in the negative-ion mode. The structure and stability of the (H3N·SO3)n and [(H3N·SO3)n-H](-) (n = 1-6) were studied using DFT/B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ method. The ESI MS study evidenced that both singly and doubly charged clusters are formed when the acids are electrosprayed from water solutions; they may be described as [(H3N·SO3)n-zH](z-) where z = 1 or 2. The largest identified clusters are built of 20 monomers. The theoretical studies showed that formation of higher order (ASA)n aggregates in the gas phase is energetically profitable. In contrast with the gas phase, aqueous solution does not favor the formation of (ASA)n aggregates. The study led to the conclusion that the ASA clusters are formed in the gas phase under the experimental conditions of the mass spectrometer. A hypothetical mechanism concerning the formation of the doubly negatively charged anionic aggregates is discussed. The obtained data suggest that small (NH3·SO3)n aggregates may also contribute to formation of aerosols in heavily polluted atmospheres with relatively large NH3 concentration.