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Aims Food-derived peptides have been reported to yield a variety of health promoting activities. Pyroglutamyl peptides are contained in the wheat gluten hydrolysate. In the present study, we investigated the effect of pyroglutamyl dipeptides on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in macrophages. Main methods RAW 264.7 macrophages were treated with LPS and various concentrations of pyroglutamyl-leucine (pyroGlu-Leu), -valine (pyroGlu-Val), -methionine (pyroGlu-Met), and -phenylalanine (pyroGlu-Phe). Cell viability/proliferation and various inflammatory parameters were measured by the established methods including ELISA and western blotting. The binding of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled LPS to RAW 264.7 cells was also measured fluorescently. Key findings All the tested dipeptides significantly inhibited the secretion of nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6 from LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Above all, pyroGlu-Leu inhibited the secretion of all these inflammatory mediators even at the lowest dose (200 μg/ml). PyroGlu-Leu dose-dependently suppressed IκBα degradation and MAPK (JNK, ERK, and p38) phosphorylation in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. On the other hand, it did not affect the binding of LPS to the cell surface. Significance Our results indicated that pyroGlu-Leu inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory response via the blocking of NF-κB and MAPK pathways in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Although second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are characterized by fewer prolactin (PRL)-related side effects compared with first-generation antipsychotics, the detailed effects of SGAs on the plasma PRL levels still remain unclear. We examined the differences in plasma PRL levels among 268 patients treated for schizophrenia with olanzapine (OLZ), risperidone (RIS), aripiprazole (ARP), quetiapine (QTP), or perospirone (PER). The participants had received antipsychotic monotherapy with stable doses of OLZ, RIS, ARP, QTP, or PER for ≥ 3 weeks, and fasting blood samples were drawn to examine plasma PRL levels. The differences in median plasma PRL levels in all (P

We investigated the association between remission of depressive symptoms in fluvoxamine treatment and catechol- O -methyltransferase (COMT) gene. Sixteen SNPs in the COMT gene were investigated in 123 outpatients with major depression. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms located in the 5′ region were associated with remission in fluvoxamine-treated outpatients with moderate to severe depression.

Two groups of irreversible serine peptidase inhibitors, peptidyl chloromethyl ketones and peptidyl phosphonate diphenyl esters, were examined for antitrypanosomal activity against the bloodstream form of Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Both peptidyl chloromethyl ketones and peptidyl phosphonate diphenyl esters inhibited trypsin-like peptidases of the parasites and exhibited antitrypanosomal activity at micromolar concentrations. In live T. b. brucei, labelled analogues of both of these groups of inhibitors primarily targeted an 80-kDa peptidase, possibly a serine oligopeptidase known as oligopeptidase B. In an in vivo mouse model of infection, one of these inhibitors, carbobenzyloxyglycyl-4-amidinophenylglycine phosphonate diphenyl ester, was curative at 5 mg kg−1 day−1 but appeared toxic at higher doses. There was no significant correlation between the inhibitory potency (as evaluated against purified T. b. brucei oligopeptidase B) and the in vitro antitrypanosomal efficacy of either group of inhibitors, suggesting that these inhibitors were acting on multiple targets within the parasites, or had different cell permeability properties. These findings suggest that serine peptidases may represent novel chemotherapeutic targets in African trypanosomes.

Diphenyl(diphenylsulfodiimidoyl)(nitrido)sulfur(VI) (2) and diphenyl(diphenylsulfoximidoyl)(nitrido)sulfur(VI) (3) (Ph2XSNSNPh2N, X=NH, O) were prepared by the reaction of diphenyl(fluoro)(nitrido)sulfur(VI) (Ph2FSN) with sodium salts of diphenyl-sulfodiimide (Ph2S(NH)2) and -sulfoximide (Ph2OSNH). The nitrido-sulfur complexes 2 and 3 are considerably basic (pKa=7.86 and 7.60, respectively). Treatment of 2 and 3 with perchloric acid afforded quantitatively the corresponding μ-aza-bis[diphenyl(imido)sulfur(V)] perchlorate (4) and μ-aza-[diphenyl(imido)]-[diphenyl(oxo)]disulfur(V) perchlorate (5) ([Ph2XSNSPh2NH]+[ClO4]−, X=NH, O). The crystal structures of 4 and 5 were determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The former has essentially C2 symmetry with an SNS bond angle of 120.3(2)°, bridging SN bond lengths of 1.595(3) and 1.604(3) A, and terminal SN bond lengths of 1.509(3) and 1.497(3); the latter cation is an unsymmetrically substituted oxygen analog with an SNS bond angle of 123.1(2)°, and bridging SN bond lengths of 1.607(4) and 1.568(4) A, terminal SN and SO bond lengths of 1.501(3) and 1.438(2) A. Single-point ab initio calculations were also carried out using the data from the crystal structures of 4 and 5.

The amidation of polyaromatic carboxylic acids, such as 4-biphenylcarboxylic acid, 4-biphenylacetic acid, 4-carboxy-4′-hydroxybiphenyl, and N -phenylanthranilic acid, was satisfactorily carried out to give the corresponding amides using a wild-type bacterium, Bacillus cereus (w), in an aqueous medium.

In the study of the thermolysis of heteroaryl substituted sulfoxides, we examined the same reaction in the presence of several amines, such as aniline, benzylamine, and morpholine. In the case of 5-(1-phenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrazolylsulfinylmethyl(dimethyl)phosphine oxide ( 1 ), the corresponding phosphinecarbothioamide 2 were unexpectedly obtained in moderate yields together with 1-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrazole ( 3 ). These products are considered to be formed by the addition reaction of amines to the sulfine formed initially and then elimination of H 2 O.

The thermal decomposition of melamine produces melame and meleme, while alkaline hydrolysis of melamine produces ammeline and ammelide. These four melamine derivatives were determined by high-performance cation-exchange chromatography using phosphate buffer as the eluent. The elution behavior during the isocratic and gradient elutions was examined and the determination was simultaneously achieved using photodiode array UV–Vis detection. An isocratic elution with 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 2.5) seemed most suitable for the rapid and quantitative analysis. Three types of gradient elutions involving phosphate- and NaCl-concentrations, and pH also showed satisfactory separations for the melamine derivatives.

The pyrolysis of triphenyl (diphenoxyphosphinyl)phosphorimidate ( 1 ) was investigated using differential thermal analysis-thermogravimetry (DTA-TG), thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry (TG-MS), infrared spectroscopy (IR), mass spectrometry (MS), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance method ( 31 P NMR). The cleavage of 1 by electron impact (EI) was also investigated, the results were used to elucidate the pyrolysis process. Compound 1 decomposed on heating to form phenol, triphenyl phosphate, hexaphenoxycyclotriphosphazene, octaphenoxycyclotetraphosphazene, triphenyl [ N -(diphenoxyphosphinyl)- P , P -diphenoxyphosphinimyl]phosphorimidate and longer-chain phosphazene compound (PhO) 2 P(O)NP(OPh) 2 NP(OPh) 2 NP(OPh) 3 . In mass spectrometric analysis, 1 was cleaved by the elimination of a phenoxyl radical, similar to pyrolysis, the formation of the ion assigned to triphenyl phosphate was observed.

Combustion tests show that polyamide-6 (PA-6) mixed with melamine is self-extinguishing. The thermal degradation process in PA-6 is modified strongly by the presence of melamine, so that the temperature of decomposition is lowered and the composition of the resulting volatile products is changed. On the other hand, melamine is not effective for either polypropylene (PP) or low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Activation energies based on thermogravimetry (TG) curves for the thermal decomposition of each sample at different heating rates are in the range of about 88.1 to 263 kJ mol −1 . The fluctuations found in activation energies indicates that a charring mechanism may contribute to the overall process. Minor amounts of thermal decomposition products other than ϵ-caprolactam were also evolved from the pure PA-6, their formation being suppressed in mixtures with melamine. The charring process occurs in parallel with the volatilization of decomposition products of PA-6, on which melamine seems not to have a significant effect. It appears evident that, compared with PP and LDPE, PA-6 is much more susceptible to thermal decomposition in the presence of melamine.

Meleme, one of thermal decomposition products of melamine, ws analyzed satisfactorily by high-performance cation-exchange chromatography using 20 m M phosphate buffer as eluent. The elution behavior of meleme and melamine at various pH values (pH 2.0–6.0) was examined and the determination was accomplishes simultaneously using photodiode array UV-Vis detection.

In order to investigate the conformation and localization of lipopeptides in lipid bilayers, a basic model peptide with a long alkyl chain, Ac-Ser-Val-Lys-Amy-Ser-Trp-Lys-Val-NHCH3 Amy-1; Amy = alpha-aminomyristic acid) was synthesized. Its interaction with neutral and acidic phospholipid bilayers was studied by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, dye leakage and fluorescence measurements. Another peptide, Ac-Leu-Ala-Arg-Leu-Trp-Amy-Arg-Leu-Leu-Ala-Arg-Leu-NHCH3 (Amy-2), which was prepared previously, was used for comparison. The CD data indicated that Amy-1 took a beta-turn and/or a beta-structure in the absence and presence of liposomes. Amy-2 formed a beta-structure in aqueous solution and an alpha-helical structure in liposomes. The dye leakage ability of Amy-1 was much weaker than that of Amy-2. Fluorescence spectroscopic data suggest that the peptides are immersed in lipid bilayers. Based on these results, discussion is made in terms of localization of the peptides in lipid bilayers.

Basic amphipathic alpha-helical peptides Ac-(Leu-Ala-Arg-Leu)3 or 4-NHCH3 (4(3) or 4(4)) and H-(Leu-Ala-Arg-Leu)3-(Leu-Arg-Ala-Leu)2 or 3-OH (4(5) or 4(6)) were synthesized and studied in terms of their interactions with phospholipid membranes, biological activity, and ion channel-forming ability. CD study of the peptides showed that they form alpha-helical structures in the presence of phospholipid liposomes and thus they have amphipathic distribution of the side chains along the axis of the helix. A leakage study of carboxyfluorescein encapsulated in phospholipid vesicles indicated that the peptides possess a highly potent ability to perturb the membrane structure. Membrane current measurements using the planar lipid bilayer technique revealed that the peptide 4(6), which was long enough to span the lipid bilayer in the alpha-helical structure, formed cation-selective ion channels at a concentration of 0.5 microM in a planar diphytanoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer. In contrast, other shorter peptides failed to form discrete and stable channels though they occasionally induced an increase in the membrane current with erratic conductance levels. The probability of detecting a conductance increase was in the order of 4(6) greater than 4(5) greater than 4(4) greater than 4(3), which corresponds to the order of the peptide chain lengths. Furthermore, 4(6) but not 4(5) showed an antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. The structure of ion channels formed by 4(6) and the relationship between the peptide chain length and biological activity of the synthetic peptides are discussed.

Basic amphipathic beta-structural peptides, Ac-(Ser-Val-Lys-Val)n-NHCH3 (1n, n = 1-3) and Ac-(Lys-Val)n-NHCH3 (2n, n = 2-4), were synthesized and their interaction with DPPC and DPPC-DPPG (3:1) bilayers was studied by CD, dye-leakage and fluorescence experiments. The CD data indicated that oligopeptides consisting of more than eight residues with alternating hydrophobic (Val) and hydrophilic amino acids (Ser and Lys) were able to form an amphipathic beta-structure in acidic phospholipid bilayers, but not or weakly in aqueous solution and in neutral phospholipid bilayers. The dye-leakage experiment showed that the basic amphipathic beta-structural peptides interact with acidic phospholipid bilayers to perturb them, but less effectively compared with basic amphipathic alpha-helical peptides. Fluorescent spectroscopic data suggest that hydrophobic side of the amphipathic peptides may immerse into membrane without deep penetration. Based on these results, we postulate that the formation of the basic amphipathic beta-structure on acidic lipid bilayers may be due to the combined effect of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between basic peptides and acidic lipid bilayers.