Search

Novel 1-trifluoromethyl-4-quinolone derivatives (8a,b) were synthesized, and the antibacterial activity of each was evaluated. An oxidative desulfurization−fluorination reaction was employed to introduce a trifluoromethyl group at the N-1 position as a key step. Among the derivatives, 8a was found to exhibit antibacterial activity comparable to that of norfloxacin (1) against Staphylococcus aureus Smith, Streptococcus pneumoniae IID1210, and Escherichia coli NIHJ JC-2.

The novel 1-(2-fluorovinyl)-4-quinolone-3-carboxylic acid derivatives Z-15a−c, E-15a−c, Z-16a−c, and E-16a−c, conformationally restricted analogues of fleroxacin (5), were synthesized, and their in vitro antibacterial activity was evaluated. A dehydrosulfenylation of a 2-fluoro-2-[(4-methoxyphenyl)sulfinyl]ethyl group was employed as a key step for the construction of a 2-fluorovinyl group at the N-1 position. It appeared evident that the Z-isomers Z-15a−c and Z-16a−c exhibited 2- to 32-fold more potent in vitro antibacterial activity than the corresponding E-isomers E-15a−c and E-16a−c. Furthermore, since Z-15b showed in vitro antibacterial activity and DNA gyrase inhibition comparable to that of 5, it was hypothesized that the conformation of Z-15b would be equivalent to the active conformer of 5. The results revealed that the antibacterial Z-1-(2-fluorovinyl)quinolone derivatives carry the novel N-1 substituent of the fluoroquinolones.

We report the production of gaseous hydronitrogen chemical species in a continuous-flow microwave plasma discharge excited in hydrazine (N2H4) gas in helium. Products were analyzed by Li⁺ ion attachment mass spectrometry. Plasma composition was investigated as a function of N2H4/He composition and microwave-induced power input. A variety of neutral and ionic products were formed and identified mass spectrometrically. The mass spectral analysis revealed the presence of various cluster compounds of N2H4, H2O, and/or NH3 as well as their ionized species. These cluster compounds were formed by condensation reaction processes. In addition, the interesting neutral hydronitrogen species N3H5 and N4H6 were tentatively assigned. No species with these chemical formulas are listed in the NIST database. Formation of N3H5 and N4H6 may involve rearrangement reactions.

Unexpectedly, the product analysis in microwave CH4/O2 discharge by Li⁺ ion attachment mass spectrometry has brought forth a detection in the formation of the hydrogen peroxide H2O2. Furthermore, the observation of the minor H2O2H⁺ peak gives indirect evidence of H2O2 formation. The studies have been done in terms of discharge conditions with a view of increasing the product rate and to confirm the possible production of this compound in the gas phase.

In the brain, three isoforms of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS), namely neuronal NOS (nNOS, NOS1), inducible NOS (iNOS, NOS2), and endothelial NOS (eNOS, NOS3), have been implicated in biological roles such as neurotransmission, neurotoxicity, immune function, and blood vessel regulation, each isoform exhibiting in part overlapping roles. Previous studies showed that iNOS is induced in the brain by systemic treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a Gram-negative bacteria-derived stimulant of the innate immune system. Here we found that eNOS mRNA is induced in the rat brain by intraperitoneal injection of LPS of a smaller amount than that required for induction of iNOS mRNA. The induction of eNOS mRNA was followed by an increase in eNOS protein. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that eNOS is located in astrocytes of both gray and white matters as well as in blood vessels. Induction of eNOS in response to a low dose of LPS, together with its localization in major components of the blood-brain barrier, suggests that brain eNOS is involved in early pathophysiologic response against systemic infection before iNOS is induced with progression of the infection.

Adenylate cyclase and cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activities in the thyroid gland were significantly reduced after hypophysectomy, followed by a gradual restoration of the enzyme activities to the levels seen in sham-operated rats whereas a slight and persistent reduction was evident in guanylate cyclase and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase activities in the same tissue. These changes in enzyme activities were restored by TSH administration but not by ACTH. The recovery of activity produced by TSH administration was inhibited by cycloheximide. Hypophysectomy, or TSH and cycloheximide administration, did not produce any significant changes in the concentrations of calmodulin, suggesting that the alteration of these enzyme activities is not induced by a decrease in the concentration of calmodulin. Since forskolin activation of adenylate cyclase did not restore the reduced activity in the hypophysectomized rat thyroid to the level found in the sham-operated control rat thyroid, we conclude that there is a reduction of the amount of enzyme after hypophysectomy rather than a change of the active site on adenylate cyclase. The spontaneous restoration of adenylate cyclase and cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activities after hypophysectomy implies that cyclic AMP-metabolizing enzymes are responsive to an autoregulatory mechanism in thyroid follicular cells.J. Endocr.(1985) 105, 363–369

Ammonia produced by amino acid metabolism is detoxified through conversion into urea by the ornithine cycle in the liver, whereas carbon skeletons of amino acids are converted to glucose by gluconeogenic enzymes. Promoter and enhancer sequences of several genes for ornithine cycle enzymes interact with members of the CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) transcription factor family. Disruption of the C/EBPalpha gene in mice causes hypoglycemia associated with the impaired expression of gluconeogenic enzymes. Here we examined the expression of ornithine cycle enzyme genes in the livers of C/EBPalpha-deficient mice. mRNA levels for the first, third, fourth, and fifth enzymes of five enzymes in the cycle were decreased in C/EBPalpha-deficient mice. Protein levels for the first, second, fourth, and fifth enzymes were also decreased. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that the enzyme mRNAs were distributed normally in the periportal region but were disordered in C/EBPalpha-deficient mice with relatively higher mRNA levels in the midlobular region. Blood ammonia concentrations in the mutant mice were severalfold higher than in wild-type mice. Thus, C/EBPalpha is crucial for ammonia detoxification by ornithine cycle enzymes and for coordination of gluconeogenesis and urea synthesis.

The properties and kinetic characteristics of a non-GSH NADPH-dependent cofactor system activating rat hepatic and renal 5′-deiodinase (5′-DI), which we have previously demonstrated with partially purified cytosol Fractions A and B [Sawada, Hummel & Walfish (1986) Biochem. J. 234, 391-398], were examined further. Although microsomal fractions prepared from either rat liver or kidneys could be activated by crude cytosol Fractions A and B from those tissues as well as from rat brain and heart, a homologous hepatic or renal system was the most potent in producing 5′-deiodination of reverse tri-iodothyronine (rT3). At nanomolar concentrations both rT3 and thyroxine (T4) were deiodinated but with a much greater substrate preference for rT3 than for T4. However, at micromolar concentrations of these substrates no activation of 5′-DI could be detected. In this deiodinative system, T4 and tri-iodothyronine (T3) competitively inhibited 5′-deiodination of rT3. Dicoumarol, iopanoate, arsenite and diamide were also inhibitory to the activation of hepatic or renal 5′-deiodination by this cofactor system. Purification of cofactor components in hepatic crude cytosolic Fractions A and B to near homogeneity, as assessed by their enzymic and physical properties, indicated that these co-purified with and were therefore identical with thioredoxin reductase and thioredoxin respectively, and accounted almost entirely for the observed activation of rT3 5′-DI. When highly purified liver cytosolic thioredoxin reductase and thioredoxin were utilized to determine the kinetic characteristics of the reaction, evidence for a sequential mechanism operative at nanomolar but not micromolar concentrations of rT3 and T4 was obtained. The Km for rT3 was 1.4 nM. Inhibition by 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil (Ki 6.7 microM) was competitive with respect to thioredoxin and non-competitive with respect to rT3, whereas inhibition by T4 (Ki 1.3 microM) was competitive. Since rT3 is a potent inhibitor of T4 5′-deiodination, this thioredoxin system activating deiodination of rT3 may play an important role in regulating the rate of intracellular production of T3 from T4.