Tertiary 2-haloethylamine derivatives of the muscarinic agent McN-A-343, [4-[[N-(3-chlorophenyl)carbamoyl]oxy]-2-butynyl]trimethylammonium chloride

4-[(2-Chloroethyl)methylamino]-2-butynyl N-(3-chlorophenyl)carbamate (2) and 4-[(2-bromoethyl)methylamino]-2-butynyl N-(3-chlorophenyl)carbamate (3) were synthesized. Compounds 2 and 3 cyclized at neutral pH to an aziridinium ion (4). The rate constants for the cyclization of 2 and 3 at 37 degrees C were about 0.01 and 0.4 min-1, respectively, as measured by titrimetric analysis and by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The aziridinium ion had 1/4 the potency of McN-A-343 (1) as a ganglionic muscarinic stimulant in the anesthetized, pentolinium-treated rat but showed no muscarinic effects on the isolated guinea pig ileum. It caused alkylation of muscarinic receptors in homogenates of the rat cerebral cortex. An irreversible blockade of central muscarinic receptors was also observed after intravenous administration of 3 to mice. Because of its selectivity, irreversible actions, and ability to pass into the central nervous system, 3 should become a valuable tool in studies of muscarinic receptors.     

Aporphines. 50. Kinetics of solvolysis of N-(2-chloroethyl)norapomorphine, an irreversible dopamine receptor antagonist

The rates and mechanism of solvolysis of (-)-N-(2-chloroethyl)norapomorphine (NCA, 1c) in aqueous solution have been examined by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (HPLC) to follow the levels of starting material and products. The first-order rate constants for aziridinium ion formation at 25 and 37 degrees C at pH 7.0 are 0.024 and 0.096 min-1, respectively. Determination of the first-order rate constant for the disappearance of NCA as a function of pH has allowed the calculation of an approximate pKa of 6.3 for the tertiary amine, while the influence of reaction conditions (e.g., pH, buffer salt and concentration, and added nucleophiles) on product distribution support the view that NCA solvolysis proceeds through an intermediate aziridinium ion. Application of the HPLC procedure allowed us to observe simultaneously the loss of NCA and the appearance of an intermediate and multiple products at trace levels; it also permitted the facile isolation and subsequent identification of small amounts of hydrolysis products. At pH 7, maximum aziridinium concentration is reached only after 10 min at 37 degrees C and at 25 degrees C after 1 h. Increased temperatures and pH facilitate the rate of aziridinium ion formation, as well as of non-dopamine antagonist solvolysis products. The significance of these findings, including the ease with which buffer ions add to the intermediate ion, are discussed in relation to the use of NCA and its tritiated isomer, [3H]NCA, in dopamine receptor studies.     

Alkylating partial muscarinic agonists related to oxotremorine. N-[4-[(2-haloethyl)methylamino]-2-butynyl]-5-methyl-2-pyrrolidones

N-[4-[(2-Chloroethyl)methylamino]-2-butynyl]-5-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (3) and N-[4-[(2-bromoethyl)methylamino]-2-butynyl]-5-methyl-2- pyrrolidone (4) were synthesized. Compounds 3 and 4 cyclized in neutral aqueous solution to an aziridinium ion (4A). The rate constants for the cyclization of 3 and 4 at 37 degrees C were 0.025 and 0.89 min-1, respectively. The aziridinium ion was equipotent with carbachol as a muscarinic agonist on the isolated guinea pig ileum. It was more potent than the corresponding 2-pyrrolidone derivative (2A) in alkylating muscarinic receptors in homogenates of the rat cerebral cortex. This higher potency was due to greater receptor affinity of 4A as compared to 2A rather than to greater rate constant for alkylation of muscarinic receptors. These properties of 3 and 4 and their low toxicity should make them valuable tools for receptor inactivation studies in vivo and in vitro.     

Tertiary 3- and 4-haloalkylamine analogues of oxotremorine as prodrugs of potent muscarinic agonists

A series of tertiary 3- and 4-haloalkylamines related to the muscarinic agent oxotremorine was synthesized. The compounds cyclized in neutral aqueous solution to quaternary ammonium salts, which, in contrast to the parent haloalkylamines, were potent muscarinic agonists in vitro. When administered systemically to mice, the haloalkylamines produced central (tremor and analgesia) and peripheral (salivation) muscarinic effects. Central potency was dependent on the rate of cyclization and on the route of administration. The N-methyl-N-(4-chlorobutyl)amine derivative 7 cyclized rapidly (t1/2 less than 0.4 min at 37 degrees C) and elicited tremor on iv but not on ip injection, whereas the N-methyl-N-(3-chloropropyl)amine 3 cyclized slowly (t1/2 = 436 min) and was not tremorogenic by either route of administration. The N-methyl-N-(3-bromopropyl)amine 4(t1/2 = 11 min) and its iodo analogue 5 (t1/2 = 14 min) were quite potent in eliciting central muscarinic effects on both iv and ip injection to mice. It is concluded that haloalkylamine analogues of oxotremorine may serve in vivo as prodrugs for potent quaternary ammonium salts and that they are capable of circumventing the blood-brain barrier to such salts.     

The binding of a 2-chloroethylamine derivative of oxotremorine (BM 123) to muscarinic receptors in the rat cerebral cortex

The interaction of a mustard analogue of oxotremorine, N-[4-(2-chloroethylmethylamino)-2-butynyl]-2-pyrrolidone (BM 123), with muscarinic receptors in the rat cerebral cortex was investigated using 3H-ligand-binding methods. When cortical homogenates were preincubated with BM 123 (1.0 mM), washed extensively, and then assayed for the binding of the specific muscarinic antagonist, [3H](-)-N-methylscopolamine, a decrease in binding capacity was noted without an accompanying change in affinity. The rate at which BM 123 alkylated muscarinic receptors was sensitive to temperature, with little or no receptor alkylation occurring at 0 degree. Thus, it was possible to estimate the affinity of BM 123 and its transformation products for muscarinic receptors by measuring their ability to competitively inhibit 3H-ligand binding to cortical homogenates at 0 degree. When measured by competitive inhibition of [3H]oxotremorine-M and [3H](-)-N-methylscopolamine binding, the concentrations of the aziridinium ion of BM 123 required to displace 50% of specific 3H-ligand binding were 3.5 nM and 4.5 microM, respectively. In contrast, the parent 2-chloroethylamine and its alcoholic hydrolysis product were much less active. The kinetics of the alkylation of muscarinic receptors by BM 123 were consistent with a model in which the aziridinium ion rapidly forms reversible complexes with superhigh high and low affinity sites which slowly convert to covalent complexes. The rate of alkylation of the superhigh affinity site was slowest whereas the converse was true for the low affinity site. It was possible to alkylate the high and low affinity sites selectively with BM 123 by taking advantage of kinetic differences in the rates of alkylation of these two sites. Atropine, oxotremorine, and oxotremorine-M antagonized the rate of alkylation of muscarinic receptors in a manner that was consistent with competitive inhibition.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the facile cyclization of histidyl-prolineamide to cyclo (His-Pro) in aqueous solution and the competitive influence of human plasma

A crucial point in the biosynthesis of cyclo (His-Pro), an endogenous and biologically active cyclic dipeptide, is the spontaneous cyclization of its precursor L-histidyl-L-prolineamide (His-ProNH2). In this study the kinetics and mechanism of the cyclization process has been investigated. His-ProNH2 was found to be converted quantitatively to cyclo(His-Pro) in aqueous solution at pH 2-10 and 37 degrees C, the rate of cyclization being maximal at pH 6-7. Buffer substances such as phosphate (pH 6-7.4) were found to catalyse the cyclization. The bell-shaped pH-rate profile observed was accounted for by assuming spontaneous and specific acid- and base-catalysed reactions of the His-ProNH2 species in which the imidazole group is protonated and the primary amino group unprotonated. The much more rapid rate of cyclization of His-ProNH2 (t1/2 of 140 min at pH 6-7 and 37 degrees C) relative to other proline-containing di- and tripeptides studied was suggested to be due to an intramolecular general acid catalytic effect by the protonated imidazole group. In the presence of human plasma enzymatic hydrolysis of His-ProNH2 competed with the cyclization and predominated greatly at 80% plasma concentration.     

Protective effect of thiosulfate and metabolic thiosulfate precursors against toxicity of nitrogen mustard (HN2)

Pharmacokinetic aspects of the protection by thiosulfate against HN₂ toxicity have been studied in mice. Determinations of blood concentrations of HN₂ following subcutaneous injection of the compound demonstrated a rapid resorption of the latter followed by a slower elimination from the blood stream. The effect of time of pretreatment with thiosulfate on the protective effect was correlated to the time course of the blood concentrations of the compound. The kinetics of the reaction between HN₂ and thiosulfate were studied in vitro at pH 7.4 and 37° and the rate constants for the cyclization of HN₂ to its aziridinium ion and for the reaction between the latter and thiosulfate were determined. Chloride ions (0.15 M) were not found to retard the cyclization of HN₂ to its aziridinium ion under these conditions. The results of the in vivo and in vitro experiments are compatible with the current hypothesis of thiosulfate protection being confined to the extracellular space. Attempts were also made to find new antidotes against HN₂ among compounds, which could give rise to thiosulfate inside the cell. Presumptive thiosulfate precursors were evaluated with respect to their thiosulfate-forming capacity in vivo, their reactivity with the aziridinium ion of HN₂in vitro and their protective effect against HN₂ in mice. The most efficient thiosulfate precursors were alaninethiosulfonate, mercaptopyruvate, propanedithiosulfonate, thiotaurine, and methanethiosulfonate. Only mercaptopyruvate showed a high reactivity with the HN₂-aziridinium ion and was also the best protective agent, although inferior to thiosulfate in these respects.     

Conversion of N-(2-chloroethyl)-4-piperidinyl diphenylacetate (4-DAMP mustard) to an aziridinium ion and its interaction with muscarinic receptors in various tissues.

A 2-chloroethylamine derivative [N-(2-chloroethyl)-4-piperidinyl diphenylacetate (4-DAMP mustard)] of the selective muscarinic antagonist N,N-dimethyl-4-piperidinyl diphenylacetate (4-DAMP) was synthesized, and its conversion to an aziridinium ion and interaction with muscarinic receptors was investigated. When dissolved in aqueous solution at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees, 4-DAMP mustard released an equivalent amount of chloride. The release of chloride was consistent with a first-order process having a half-time of 5.7 min. The aziridinium ion reached a peak concentration at 32 min, corresponding to 75% of the initial concentration of 4-DAMP mustard. When homogenates of rat brain, heart, and submaxillary gland were incubated with 4-DAMP mustard (9 nM) for 1 hr, washed extensively, and then assayed for muscarinic receptor binding properties, a 56% decrease in the binding capacity of N-[3H]methylscopolamine in the heart and brain and a 71% decrease in the gland were observed, without a significant change in the dissociation constants. The affinity of 4-DAMP mustard and its transformation products for muscarinic receptors was determined in competitive binding experiments with N-[3H] methylscopolamine, and the results show that the aziridinium ion of 4-DAMP mustard was the most potent form, compared with the parent 2-chloroethylamine (4-DAMP mustard) and the alcoholic hydrolysis product. The rates of receptor alkylation by 4-DAMP mustard were measured in the rat heart and gland. Virtually no alkylation (less than 1%) occurred in the heart at a 4-DAMP mustard concentration of 1.6 nM, after 30 min, whereas almost 50% alkylation was observed in the gland under the same conditions. Almost complete alkylation of receptors in the gland could be achieved at a 4-DAMP mustard concentration of 200 nM, after 1 hr. Treatment of the isolated rat ileum with 4-DAMP mustard caused an irreversible blockade of contractions elicited by the muscarinic agonist oxotremorine-M, and this blockade persisted after extensive washing. The results presented here show that 4-DAMP mustard forms an aziridinium ion that binds irreversibly to muscarinic receptors and exhibits selectivity for M3, compared with M2 muscarinic receptors.     

Influence of pH, temperature and buffers on cefepime degradation kinetics and stability predictions in aqueous solutions

First-order rate constants (k) were determined for cefepime degradation at 45, 55, 65, and 75 degrees C, pH 0.5 to 8.6, using an HPLC assay. Each pH-rate profile exhibited an inflection between pH 1 and 2. The pH-rate expression was k(pH) = kH1 f1(aH+) + kH2 f2(aH+) + ks + kOH(aOH-), where kH1 and kH2 are the catalytic constants (M(-1) h(-1)) for hydrogen ion activity (aH+), kOH is the catalytic constant for hydroxyl ion activity (aOH-), and ks is the first-order rate constant (h(-1)) for spontaneous degradation. The protonated (f1) and unprotonated (f2) fractions were calculated from the dissociation constant, Ka = (8.32x10(-6))e(5295)/RT where T was absolute temperature (T). Accelerated loss due to formate, acetate, phosphate, and borate buffer catalysis was quantitatively described with the catalytic constant, kGA (M(-1) h(-1)) for the acidic component, [GA], and kGB (M(-1) h(-1) for the basic component, [GB], of each buffer. The temperature dependency for each rate constant was defined with experimentally determined values for A and E and the Arrhenius expression, kT = Ae-E/RT, where kT represented kH1, kH2 , kS, kOH, kGA, or kGB. Degradation rate constants were calculated for all experimental pH, temperature, and buffer conditions by combining the contributions from pH and buffer effects to yield, k = k(pH) + kGA[GA] + kGB[GB]. The calculated k values had <10% error for 103 of the 106 experimentally determined values. Maximum stability was observed in the pH-independent region, 4 to 6. Degradation rate constants were predicted and experimentally verified for cefepime solutions stored at 30 degrees C, pH 4.6 and 5.6. These solutions maintained 90% of their initial concentration (T90) for approximately 2 days.     

Influence of atropine upon ageing and reactivation of soman inhibited acetylcholinesterase from human erythrocytes. Preliminary communication

From human blood concentrates erythrocyte "ghosts" were prepared. These and an enzyme solution, obtained by Triton X 100 treatment of the ghosts, were reacted with 1.2.2-trimethylpropyl-methyl-phosphonylfluoridate (soman). The rate constants of inhibition of the membrane bound and solubilized acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were determined at 3 degrees C, pH 8 and 9 to be 2 X 10(7) and 1.4 X 10(7) mol-1 min-1, respectively. Ageing of the phosphonylated AChE occurred with rate constants of 3.5 X 10(-2) (ghost bound) and 1.3 X 10(-2) (solubilized) min-1 at 3 degrees C, pH 8. 5 X 10(-4) mol/l atropine decreased the ageing rate by 50%. Reactivation of the non aged phosphonyl-AChE by several pyridinium oximes was enhanced by atropine with the ghost-bound enzyme; the reactivation of the phosphonylated solubilized enzyme, however, was not affected by atropine.     

Pathways of decomposition of propylbenzilylcholine mustard in neutral and alkaline solution

High-voltage electrophoresis has been used to follow the decomposition of propylbenzilylcholine mustard (PrBCM) in aqueous solution. Dilute solutions of PrBCM in 10 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.5, or Krebs-Henseleit solution allowed to stand for 1 h at room temperature (22-24 degrees C) contain mainly the aziridinium ion derivative. At pH 7.5 the concentration of this ion declines slowly, giving rise first to the N-hydroxyethyl derivative and then ultimately, following hydrolysis of the ester bond, to NN-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)propylamine and benzilic acid. In contrast, in 5 mM NaOH the ester bond undergoes rapid hydrolysis, so that the major species present after 15 min at room temperature is the N-hydroxyethylaziridinium ion. This ion then undergoes slow reaction with hydroxy ion to yield the same final decomposition product, NN-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)propylamine, as is observed at pH 7.5.     

Cyclization of the acyl glucuronide metabolite of a neutral endopeptidase inhibitor to an electrophilic glutarimide: synthesis, reactivity, and mechanistic analysis

The neutral endopeptidase inhibitor (2R)-2-[(1-{[(5-ethyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)amino]carbonyl}cyclopentyl)methyl]pentanoic acid 2 is metabolized to acyl glucuronide 3. Unprecedentedly, at pH 7.4, 3 does not undergo the O-acyl migration characteristic of acyl glucuronides but rapid, eliminative cyclization (t1/2 at 37 degrees C, 10.2 min) to glutarimide 4. Glucuronide 3 was synthesized efficiently via acylation of benzylglucuronate with N-benzyloxymethyl-protected 2. Glucuronide and imide reacted rapidly in aqueous solution, pH 7.4, with amino acids and glutathione to form stable amides and unstable thioesters. Imide 4 acylated eight lysine Nepsilon-amino groups of human serum albumin. Rapid cyclization of 3 was attributed to attack on the ester linkage by an unusually nucleophilic glutaramide NH (pKa in 2 = 9.76). N-propyl 3 was refractory to acyl migration and cyclization. This suggested a synthetic strategy for preparing analogues of 2 that form chemically stable acyl glucuronides.     

Temperature dependence of melphalan efflux kinetics in Chinese hamster ovary cells

The temperature dependence of the kinetics of efflux of melphalan from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was studied from 4 degrees to 47 degrees. Time courses for melphalan efflux showed an initial rapid phase of efflux followed by a plateau. The data for melphalan concentration (c) versus efflux time (t) were described by the equation c(t) = A + B exp(-kt), where A is the final steady-state melphalan concentration, B is the total change in melphalan concentration from time zero until steady-state conditions are reached, and k is the rate constant for the efflux process. The plateau level obtained was not dependent on temperature and corresponded to 22 +/- 3.2% of the drug remaining in the cells after efflux. The time for melphalan efflux to reach the plateau level was dependent on temperature. This was reflected by an increase in the rate constants for melphalan efflux with increasing temperature from 30 degrees to 47 degrees. The rate constant for melphalan efflux at 37 degrees was 0.045 +/- 0.002 min-1. Efflux of melphalan occurred much more slowly at lower temperatures such as 4 degrees and 20 degrees. An Arrhenius plot for melphalan efflux showed a linear and decreasing trend at temperatures between 30 degrees and 47 degrees with an activation energy of 1.046 x 10(3) J/mol.     

Alkaline hydrolysis of oxaliplatin--isolation and identification of the oxalato monodentate intermediate

The alkaline degradation of the chemotherapeutic agent oxaliplatin has been studied using liquid chromatography. The oxalato ligand is lost in two consecutive steps. First, the oxalato ring is opened, forming an oxalato monodentate intermediate, as identified by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Subsequently, the oxalato ligand is lost and the dihydrated oxaliplatin complex is formed. The observed rate constants for the first step (k(1)) and the second step (k(2)) follow the equation k(1) or k(2) = k(0) + k(OH(-) )[OH(-)], where k(0) is the rate constant for the degradation catalyzed by water and k(OH(-) ) represents the second-order rate constant for the degradation catalyzed by the hydroxide ion. At 37 degrees C the rate constants for the first step are k(OH(-) ) = 5.5 x 10(-2) min(-1) M(-1) [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.7 x 10(-2) to 8.4 x 10(-2) min(-1) M(-1)] and k(0) = 4.3 x 10(-2) min(-1) (95% CI, 4.0 x 10(-2) to 4.7 x 10(-2) min(-1)). For the second step the rate constants are k(OH(-) ) = 1.1 x 10(-3) min(-1) M(-1) (95% CI, -1.1 x 10(-3) to 3.3 x 10(-3)) min(-1) M(-1) and k(0) = 7.5 x 10(-3) min(-1) (95% CI, 7.2 x 10(-3) to 7.8 x 10(-3) min(-1)). Thus, the ring-opening step is nearly six times faster than the step involving the loss of the oxalato ligand.     

Macromolecular prodrugs: X. Kinetics of fenoprofen release from PHEA-fenoprofen conjugate

The kinetics of fenoprofen release from poly[alpha,beta-(N-2-hydroxyethyl-DL-aspartamide)]-fenoprofen conjugate (PHEA-Fen) in aqueous buffer solutions (pH 10 and 1.1), simulated gastric (SGF) and intestinal fluids (SIF) was studied. In borate buffer pH 10, the following rate constants were obtained: k=0.2659 (t=60 degrees C) and k=0.0177 h(-1) (t=37 degrees C) and in glycine buffer solution pH 1.1 k=0.0036 h(-1). In SGF and SIF fenoprofen release did not occur in significant extend within 12 h. The hydrolysis of the ester bond between the polymeric carrier and fenoprofen followed the pseudo first-order kinetics, with activation energy indicative for the breakage of a sigma bond (E(a)=100.6 kJ mol(-1)). The concentration of the released fenoprofen was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).     

NMR spectroscopic studies of intermediary metabolites of cyclophosphamide. A comprehensive kinetic analysis of the interconversion of cis- and trans-4-hydroxycyclophosphamide with aldophosphamide and the concomitant partitioning of aldophosphamide between irreversible fragmentation and reversible conjugation pathways

Multinuclear (31P, 13C, 2H, and 1H) Fourier-transform NMR spectroscopy, with and without isotopically enriched materials, was used to identify and quantify, as a function of time, the following intermediary (short-lived) metabolites of the anticancer prodrug cyclophosphamide (1, Scheme I): cis-4-hydroxycyclophosphamide (cis-2), its trans isomer (trans-2), aldophosphamide (3), and its aldehyde-hydrate (5). Under a standard set of reaction conditions (1 M 2,6-dimethylpyridine buffer, pH 7.4, 37 degrees C), the stereospecific deoxygenation of synthetic cis-4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (cis-12, 20 mM) with 4 equiv of sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3) afforded, after approximately 20 min, a "pseudoequilibrium" distribution of cis-2, 3, 5, and trans-2, i.e., the relative proportions of these reactants (57:4:9:30, respectively) remained constant during their continual disappearance. NMR absorption signals indicative of "iminophosphamide" (8) and enol 6 were not detected (less than 0.5-1% of the synthetic metabolite mixture). A computerized least-squares fitting procedure was applied to the individual 31P NMR derived time courses for conversion of cis-2, 3 plus 5 (i.e., "3"), and trans-2 into acrolein and phosphoramide mustard (4), the latter of which gave an expected array of thiosulfate S-alkylation products (e.g., 16) and other phosphorus-containing materials derived from secondary decomposition reactions. This kinetic analysis gave the individual forward and reverse rate constants for the apparent tautomerization processes, viz., cis-2 in equilibrium "3" in equilibrium trans-2, as well as the rate constant (k3) for the irreversible fragmentation of 3. The values of k3 at pH 6.3, 7.4, and 7.8 were equal to 0.030 +/- 0.004, 0.090 +/- 0.008, and 0.169 +/- 0.006 min-1, respectively. Replacement of the HC(O)CH2 moiety n 3 with HC(O)CD2 led to a primary kinetic isotope effect (kH/kD = 5.6 +/- 0.4) for k3. The apparent half-lives (tau 1/2) for cis-2, "3", and trans-2 under the standard reaction conditions, at "pseudoequilibrium" (constant ratio of cis-2/"3"/trans-2), were each equal to approximately 38 min, which is considerably shorter than the widely cited colorimetrically derived half-lives reported by earlier investigators. The values of tau 1/2 for cis-2, "3", and trans-2 were affected by pH in the same manner as that found for k3 but were relatively insensitive to the presence of either K+, Na+, Ca2+, or Mg2+. The presence of certain primary amines led to marked decreases in tau 1/2 and, in some cases, the formation of acyclic adducts of aldehyde 3.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Kinetics of phosphoramide mustard hydrolysis in aqueous solution

Hydrolysis of phosphoramide mustard was investigated using HPLC, 31P NMR, and GC-MS with specific deuterium labels. The hydrolysis of phosphoramide mustard in sodium phosphate buffers was found to follow apparent first-order kinetics. The rate of hydrolysis was temperature and pH dependent, being slower under acidic conditions. The hydrolysis was not catalyzed by hydroxyl ion, and its pH dependence appeared to be the result of a change in the mechanism of hydrolysis at different pH values. At a pH value approximately above the pKa of the phosphoramide mustard nitrogen, the major hydrolytic pathway of phosphoramide mustard was via the formation of the aziridinium ion, followed by nucleophilic attack. At pH values below its pKa, cleavage of the P-N bond predominated. At pH 7.4, the formation of an aziridinium ion was followed by a rapid hydrolysis to yield the monohydroxy and, subsequently, the dihydroxy products. The hydrolysis at this pH was adequately described by consecutive first-order kinetics. Seven species in the hydrolytic mixture have been identified as intact phosphoramide mustard, N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)phosphorodiamidic acid, N,N-bis-(2-hydroxyethyl)phosphorodiamidic acid, phosphoramidic acid, phosphoric acid, N,N-bis-(2-chloroethyl)amine, and N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)amine by GC-MS with the aid of deuterium labels. Phosphoramide mustard was found to be stabilized by chloride ion. The stabilization was linearly related to the chloride ion concentration, and the mechanism was found to be via the formation of phosphoramide mustard from the aziridinium and chloride ions. Phosphoramide mustard was significantly more stable in human plasma and in 5% human serum albumin as compared to aqueous buffers, an observation that may be important in vivo.     

Phenoxybenzamine stability in aqueous ethanolic solutions. I. Application of potentiometric pH stat analysis to determine kinetics

The kinetics of decomposition of phenoxybenzamine (I) were determined as a function of apparent pH in 1:1 absolute ethanol : water. Decomposition proceeds through reversible cyclization to an unprotonated ethylenimonium ion [N-benzyl-N-(1-phenoxy-2-propyl)ethylenimoniumion, II], which then reacts with both water and ethanol to form solvolysis products. Both I and solvolysis products are weak bases that exist partially protonated. Decomposition of I involves the formation of titratable hydrogen ion from protonated I as II is formed. Solvolysis of II yields titratable hydrogen ion as the products are formed. At apparent pH values of 4.50 and below, all titratable hydrogen ion may be assigned to the cyclization process. At apparent pH values of 6.50 and above all titratable hydrogen ion may be assigned to the solvolysis process. This unambiguous assignment of titratable hydrogen ion to the individual processes allows individual rate constants to be determined from pH stat data only. Complementary analytical methods such as chloride ion analyses are unnecessary to elucidate the kinetics of I decomposition. The rate of cyclization was pH-dependent due to reaction of unprotonated I only. The pK_a of the conjugate acid of I was 5.01 and the specific rate constant for cyclization was 0.293 min^?1. The reversibility of the cyclization reaction was found to be minimal. The rate constant for the reaction between II and chloride ions to form I was 4 × 10^?6 M · min^?1. The solvolysis was found to be pH-independent with a rate constant of 0.0289 min^?1.     

Chemical reactions involved in penicillin allergy: kinetics and mechanism of penicillin aminolysis.

In view of the fundamental importance of the reaction of penicillins with amino groups of proteins to the penicillin allergy, the aminolysis of benzylpenicillin by various amines was kinetically investigated. The formation rate constants, kamide, of benzylpenicilloylamides were determined at 35 degrees, 45 degrees and 60 degrees (mu equals 0.5), and found to obey the general rate law: kamide equals k1[amine] + k2[amine H+] [amine] + k3[amine]2 + k4[amine]aoh. All of the amines exhibited the unassisted nucleophilic rate constant, k1. The relative importance of the other kinetic terms depends on the basicity and the chemical structure of amines. The reaction mechanism of penicillin aminolysis was discussed. Bronsted relations for k1, k2 and k3, except for hydrazines, were satisfactory.     

Characterization of angiotensin converting enzyme by [3H]captopril binding

We demonstrate that [3H]captopril selectively labels angiotensin converting enzyme (EC 3.14.15.1) (ACE) and employ this technique to probe enzyme-inhibitor interactions. [3H]Captopril binding sites copurify with ACE activity from rat lung or rat brain. At each stage of the purification the Vmax/Bmax ratio, or kcat is 17,000 min-1 with hippuryl-L-histidyl-L-leucine as substrate. The specificity of [3H]captopril binding is apparent in the similar pharmacologic profile of inhibition in crude and pure enzyme preparations. Furthermore, binding sites and enzyme activity comigrate in gel filtration and sucrose gradient sedimentation experiments. Equilibrium analysis of [3H]captopril binding to purified ACE reveals a Bmax of 6 nmol/mg of protein (KD = 2 nM), demonstrating the presence of one inhibitor binding site per polypeptide chain. The kinetics of [3H]captopril binding are characterized by monophasic association and dissociation rate constants of 0.026 nM-1 min-1 and 0.034 min-1, respectively. The affinity of ACE for both [3H] captopril and enalaprilat is greater at 37 degrees than at 0 degree, demonstrating that these interactions are entropically driven, perhaps by an isomerization of the enzyme molecule. The ionic requirements for [3H]captopril binding and substrate catalysis differ. Chloride and bromide ion, but not fluoride, are about 100-fold more potent stimulators of binding than catalysis. When the active site Zn2+ ion is replaced by Co2+, catalysis was stimulated 2-fold, whereas binding activity was decreased by 70%.