Zur Acylierung von Hydroxy- und Mercapto-carbonsäureestern nach dem Carbodiimid/Acylierungskatalysator-Verfahren

On the Acylation of Hydroxy- and Mercaptocarboxylic Acid Esters Using the Carbodiimide/Acylation Catalyst Method Acylation of esters of hydroxycarboxylic acids can be carried out easily and in good yields by using the carbodiimide/acylation catalyst method. The reaction has also been applied to dihydroxy- and mercaptocarboxylic acid esters. The compounds formed from certain esters of hydroxycarboxylic acids are unstable to heat and decompose easily to the free carboxylic acid. No racemization is observed when using enantiomeric hydroxycarboxylic acids. Use of racemic carboxylic acids leads to diastereomers, whose ¹H-NMR shifts for characteristic protons are different as expected. Five drugs are among the carboxylic acids investigated in this context.     

Marked increase of asymmetric dimethylarginine in patients with incipient primary chronic renal disease.

In patients with uremia, increased blood concentrations of the endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) have been linked to the severity of atherosclerosis and to excess cardiovascular mortality. The ADMA levels and several traditional cardiovascular risk factors were assessed in 44 untreated nonsmoking patients with confirmed primary chronic renal disease at different stages of renal disease. True GFR was assessed by means of the inulin-clearance technique. For comparison, nonsmoking subjects matched with respect to age, gender, and body-mass index were examined. Mean plasma ADMA concentration was markedly higher (P < 0.0001) in all patients combined (4.2 +/- 0.9 micromol/L) than in control subjects (n = 16; age 45 +/- 10 yr; serum creatinine 1.0 +/- 0.1 mg/dl; ADMA 1.4 +/- 0.7 micromol/L). However, mean ADMA levels were similar in patients with normal renal function (n = 16; age 41 +/- 9 yr; serum creatinine 1.1 +/- 0.1 mg/dl; GFR 120 +/- 14 ml x min(-1) x 1.73 m2; ADMA 4.0 +/- 0.7 micromol/L), in patients with moderate renal failure (n = 15; 47 +/- 7 yr; 1.8 +/- 0.3 mg/dl; 65 +/- 10 ml x min(-1) x 1.73 m2; 3.8 +/- 0.6 micromol/L) and in patients with advanced renal failure (n = 13; 46 +/- 9 yr; 4.2 +/- 0.9 mg/dl; 25 +/- 4 ml x min(-1) x 1.73 m2; 4.7 +/- 1.2 micromol/L). Furthermore, ADMA levels were increased to the same extent in normotensive (n = 17; 4.0 +/- 0.8 micromol/L) and in hypertensive (n = 27; 4.2 +/- 0.9 micromol/L) patients. In contrast to ADMA, mean total plasma homocysteine concentration were similar in control subjects (10.6 +/- 2.9 micromol/L) and in patients with normal GFR (11.0 +/- 2.9 micromol/L), but were significantly higher in patients with moderate renal failure (17.7 +/- 4.1 micromol/L) and particularly in patients with advanced renal failure (28.2 +/- 10.6 micromol/L). Finally, mean total serum cholesterol concentrations were comparable in the control group and in the three groups of patients with renal disease. In contrast to several traditional cardiovascular risk factors, markedly increased blood concentrations of ADMA, a putative biochemical marker of atherosclerosis, are present even in nonsmoking patients without diabetes with incipient primary renal disease. Thus, the early increase of ADMA levels may be of relevance for the excess cardiovascular morbidity and mortality due to arterio- and atherosclerotic complications in patients with renal disease.     

Cellular kinetics of prednimustine versus chlorambucil plus prednisolone in vitro

Summary Intracellular concentrations of prednimustine (PM), chlorambucil (CLB), phenylacetic acid mustard (PAAM) and prednisolone (P) were measured in different experimental tumor cell lines that had been incubated with either PM or CLB+P. For intracellular analytical determination, we modified a high-pressure liquid chromatographic method for the detection of these substances in plasma. Intact PM could be detected in the intracellular compartment of the incubated tumor cells. PM-incubated cells from PM-injected rats exhibited a higher intracellular concentration-time integral (PAAM) and longer concentration-time profiles for drugs with alkylating capacity than did cells exposed to the CLB+P mixture or to CLB. PAAM was not detectable after incubation of cells with PM, whereas in CLB-incubated cells the AUC of PAAM exceeded that of the parent drug CLB. Our in vitro results therefore favour the concept of a facilitated intracellular uptake and an increased antiproliferative effect for PM versus CLB and CLB+P.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. H. J. Dengler on the occasion of his 65th birthday. This study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Research of Nordrhein-Westfalen     

Reductive activation and radical formation in a series of substituted benzoquinones: Thermodynamic and quantum chemical studies

The reduction of the quinone moiety, which is found in many anti-cancer agents, is still a poorly understood process. It is commonly assumed that the reduction of a quinone by the uptake of two electrons and two protons leads to the active hydroquinone form. For a better understanding of these reactions electrochemical data, obtained for a series of substituted benzoquinones, were analyzed. In addition quantum chemical calculations on the STO-3G level were performed to obtain data for the one- and two-electron reduction.From the electrochemical experiments, thermodynamic data can be obtained which show that the unfavourable free energy of electron uptake is overcome by the favourable binding of protons. Both reactions are influenced by the electronic properties of the substituents, as demonstrated by Hammett-type relationships between the free energy of these reactions and the sigma-para character of these substituents. In these relationships the reaction constant of the electron uptake process has an absolute value which is five times higher than that of the proton uptake.Quantum chemical calculations yielded energy values for the one-electron uptake, as expressed by U(LUMO), and for the total reduction process. Most of the results from these calculations are in accord with the thermodynamic study. The calculations also revealed a conformational change to take place upon reduction of NH₂ and N(CH₂)₂ substituted benzoquinones, which might be important for chemical and biological activity.     

Recombinant human IL-16 inhibits HIV-1 replication and protects against activation-induced cell death (AICD)

The chemoattractant cytokine IL-16 has been reported to suppress lymphocyte activation and to inhibit HIV-1 replication in acutely infected T cells. We have cloned and expressed human IL-16 in Escherichia coli and investigated whether the recombinant protein could regulate the level of lymphocyte apoptosis from HIV-1-infected subjects. After purification and refolding, only 2–10% of the recombinant cytokine was present in a biologically active homotetrameric form. This could explain the need for high concentrations of the bacterially derived IL-16 to induce significant inhibition of HIV-1 replication. Addition of IL-16 to unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures from HIV-1-infected subjects did not modify the observed level of spontaneous lymphocyte apoptosis. In contrast, IL-16 added to PBMC cultures stimulated with anti-CD3, anti-CD95 or dexamethasone reduced significantly the percentage of lymphocytes undergoing AICD. This effect was found to correlate with the ability of the cytokine to decrease CD95 expression on activated CD4⁺ T cells. Comparative studies on PBMC from healthy individuals indicated that the regulation of apoptosis levels by IL-16 is a complex phenomenon and could depend on the nature of the activator used and/or the immune status of lymphocytes tested. The outcome of CD4 cross-linking on T cells by various ligands is discussed in the context of the observed beneficial activities of IL-16 and its potential role in the treatment of HIV disease.     

Tetrahydrobiopterin Attenuates Microvascular Reperfusion Injury Following Murine Pancreas Transplantation

In this study we investigated the effect of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), an essential cofactor for nitric oxide synthases, on ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) following murine pancreas transplantation. Pancreatic grafts were exposed to prolonged cold ischemia times (CIT) and different treatment regimens: normal saline (S), S + 16 h CIT, BH4 50 mg/kg + 16 h CIT. Nontransplanted animals served as controls. Graft microcirculation was analyzed by means of functional capillary density (FCD) and capillary diameters (CD) after 2 h reperfusion using intravital microscopy. Quantification of inflammatory responses (mononuclear infiltration) and endothelial disintegration (edema formation) was done by histology (hematoxylin and eosin), and peroxynitrite formation assessed by nitrotyrosine immunostaining. FCD was significantly reduced after prolonged CIT, paralleled by increased peroxynitrite formation as compared with controls (all p < 0.05). Microcirculatory changes correlated significantly with intragraft peroxynitrite generation (Spearman: r = -0.56; p < 0.01). Pancreatic grafts treated with BH4 displayed markedly higher FCD values (p < 0.01) and abrogated nitrotyrosine staining (p = 0.03). CD were not significantly different in any group. Histology showed increased inflammation, interstitial edema, hemorrhage, acinar vacuolization and focal areas of necrosis after 16 h CIT, which was diminished by BH4 administration (p < 0.01). BH4 treatment significantly reduces post-ischemic deterioration of microcirculation as well as histologic damage and might be a promising novel strategy in attenuating IRI following pancreas transplantation.