Phosphinic platinum complexes with 8-thiotheophylline derivatives: synthesis, characterization, and antiproliferative activity.

The platinum mixed-phosphine complexes (SP-4,2)-[PtCl(8-MTT)(PPh3)(PTA)] (2) and cis-[Pt(8-MTT)2(PPh3)(PTA)] (3) (MTTH2 = 8-(methylthio)theophylline, PTA = 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane) have been prepared from the precursor cis-[PtCl2(PPh3)(PTA)] (1), which has been fully characterized by X-ray diffraction determination. Antiproliferative activity tests indicated that the presence of one lipophilic PPh3 and one hydrophilic PTA makes 1-3 more active than the analogues bearing two PPh3 or two PTA. The reactivity of cis-[PtCl2(PPh3)2], cis-[PtCl2(PTA)2], and cis-[PtCl2(PPh3)(PTA)] with the bis(thiopurines) bis(S-8-thiotheophylline)methane (MBTTH2), 1,2-bis(S-8-thiotheophylline)ethane (EBTTH2), and 1,3-bis(S-8-thiotheophylline)propane (PBTTH2) has also been investigated. New binuclear complexes have been prepared and identified by spectroscopic techniques and their antiproliferative activities on T2 and SKOV3 cell lines evaluated.

Biologically active platinum complexes containing 8-thiotheophylline and 8-(methylthio)theophylline.

Complexes [Pt(mu-N,S-8-TT)(PPh(3))(2)](2) (1), [Pt(mu-S,N-8-TT)(PTA)(2)](2) (2), [Pt(8-TTH)(terpy)]BF(4) (3), cis-[PtCl(8-MTT)(PPh(3))(2)] (4), cis-[Pt(8-MTT)(2)(PPh(3))(2)] (5), cis-[Pt(8-MTT)(8-TTH)(PPh(3))(2)] (6), cis-[PtCl(8-MTT)(PTA)(2)] (7), cis-[Pt(8-MTT)(2)(PTA)(2)] (8), and trans-[Pt(8-MTT)(2)(py)(2)] (9) (8-TTH(2) = 8-thiotheophylline; 8-MTTH = 8-(methylthio)theophylline; PTA = 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane) are presented and studied by IR and multinuclear ((1)H, (31)P[(1)H]) NMR spectroscopy. The solid-state structure of 4 and 9 has been authenticated by X-ray crystallography. Growth inhibition of the cancer cells T2 and SKOV3 induced by the above new thiopurine platinum complexes has been investigated. The activity shown by complexes 4 and 9 was comparable with cisplatin on T2. Remarkably, 4 and 9 displayed also a valuable activity on cisplatin-resistant SKOV3 cancer cells.

Associations of squaric acid and its anions as multiform building blocks of hydrogen-bonded molecular crystals.

Squaric acid, H(2)C(4)O(4) (H(2)SQ), is a completely flat diprotic acid that can crystallize as such, as well as in three different anionic forms, i.e. H(2)SQ.HSQ(-), HSQ(-) and SQ(2-). Its interest for crystal engineering studies arises from three notable factors: (i) its ability of donating and accepting hydrogen bonds strictly confined to the molecular plane; (ii) the remarkable strength of the O-H...O bonds it may form with itself which are either of resonance-assisted (RAHB) or negative-charge-assisted [(-)CAHB] types; (iii) the ease with which it may donate a proton to an aromatic base which, in turn, back-links to the anion by strong low-barrier N-H+...O(1/2-) charge-assisted hydrogen bonds. Analysis of all the structures so far known shows that, while H(2)SQ can only crystallize in an extended RAHB-linked planar arrangement and SQ(2-) tends to behave much as a monomeric dianion, the monoanion HSQ(-) displays a number of different supramolecular patterns that are classifiable as beta-chains, alpha-chains, alpha-dimers and alpha-tetramers. Partial protonation of these motifs leads to H(2)SQ.HSQ(-) anions whose supramolecular patterns include ribbons of dimerized beta-chains and chains of emiprotonated alpha-dimers. The topological similarities between the three-dimensional crystal chemistry of orthosilicic acid, H(4)SiO(4), and the two-dimensional one of squaric acid, H(2)C(4)O(4), are finally stressed.

General rules for the packing of hydrogen-bonded crystals as derived from the analysis of squaric acid anions: aminoaromatic nitrogen base co-crystals.

Preparation and single-crystal X-ray structure determination of three co-crystals of hydrogen squarate, HSQ(-), with 2-aminopyrimidine, 3-aminopyridine and 4-aminopyridine, and one of squarate, SQ(2-), with 8-aminoquinoline are reported. Their crystal packings are analyzed and discussed in terms of the intermolecular O--H...O, N--H...O/N and C--H...O hydrogen bonds formed. Although the fine details of the supramolecular architecture are barely rationalizable, the comparative analysis of the data makes it possible to suggest some simple rules that may be of general application for the packing of hydrogen-bonded crystals, i.e. Rule 1: 'All hydrogen-bond acceptors available in a molecule will be engaged in hydrogen bonding as far as there are available donors'; Rule 2: 'The hydrogen-bond acceptors will be saturated in order of decreasing strength of the hydrogen bonds formed'.

Chemical synthesis of linear and cyclic unnatural oligosaccharides by iterative glycosidation of ketoses.

The development of an efficient method for the stereoselective synthesis of alpha-D-(2-->1)-linked ketoside oligomers is described. The method is based on an iterative protocol composed of two key steps: a) the coupling of a thiazolylketosyl phosphite donor with an hydroxymethylketoside acceptor; and b) the introduction of the hydroxy-methyl group at the anomeric carbon atom of the resulting oligomer. To highlight its efficiency, the protocol was used in the assembly of D-galacto-2-heptulopyranose-containing oligoketosides through alpha-(2-->1) linkages up to the pentameric stage. The yield of the isolated oligomers ranged from 48 % in the first cycle to 29% in the fourth cycle. Having employed a pentenyl-substituted hydroxymethylketoside acceptor in the first cycle, all the derived oligomers contained the pentenyl group at their reducing end. This group was exploited to transform the linear oligomers into cyclic products through intramolecular glycosidation. The major product derived from the linear trisaccharide was confirmed by X-ray crystallography to be the cyclotris-(2-->1)-(alpha-D-galacto-2-heptulopyranosyl). The structure of this compound was essentially that of a [9]crown-3 ether bearing three galactopyranose rings spiroanellated in a propellerlike fashion. This arrangement of carbohydrate units linked to the crown ether created a densely alkoxylated cavity suitable for the encapsulation of alkali-metal cations (Li, Na, K, Ca, Mg).

Self-assembly of NH-pyrazoles via intermolecular N-H.N hydrogen bonds.

The crystal structures of two NH-pyrazole derivatives forming intermolecular N-H.N hydrogen bonds are reported: 5-methyl-4-(3-methylpyrazol-5-yl)pyrazol-3-ol, C(8)H(10)N(4)O (P1), and 3-methyl-5-dihydro-1H-naphtho[1,2-d]pyrazole hemihydrochloride, C(12)H(12)N(2).-C(12)H(13)N(2)(+).Cl(-) (P2). 26 other structures are surveyed in order to obtain a deeper insight into the ways NH-pyrazoles self-assemble by means of intermolecular N-H.N hydrogen bonds in molecular crystals. A limited number of compounds form chains or dimers via homonuclear N(+)-H.N positive-charge-assisted hydrogen bonds, typical of proton sponges, which can be remarkably short [e.g. N.N 2.714 (3), N-H 1.09 (3), H.N 1.63 (3) Å, N-H.N 169 (3) degrees in (P2)]. Most pyrazoles, however, pack via neutral N-H.N bonds which are formally assisted by resonance (resonance-assisted hydrogen bond, RAHB) through the.N=C-C=C-NH. iminoenamine fragment, contained in the ring, giving rise to dimers, trimers, tetramers and infinite chains of pyrazole molecules. Surprisingly, the resonance does not appear to shorten the N-H.N bond with respect to the accepted mean value N.N 2.97 (10) Å for non-resonant N-H.N bonds. It is shown that this is due to the internal pi-delocalization of the pyrazole ring, which can be hardly increased by the hydrogen-bond interaction, except in symmetrically 3,5-substituted pyrazoles which display N.N distances as short as 2.82 Å, identical C-C and C-N distances in the two halves of the pyrazole molecule, and typical phenomena of N-H.N dynamical proton disorder, detectable by (15)N-CP/MAS solid-state NMR.

Interplay of hydrogen bonding and other molecular interactions in determining the crystal packing of a series of anti-beta-ketoarylhydrazones.

The crystal structures of six anti-beta-ketoarylhydrazones are reported: (a1) (E)-2-(4-cyanophenylhydrazono)-3-oxobutanenitrile; (a2) (E)-2-(4-methylphenylhydrazono)-3-oxobutanenitrile; (a3) (E)-2-(4-acetylphenylhydrazono)-3-oxobutanenitrile; (a4) (E)-2-(2-methoxy-phenylhydrazono)-3-oxobutanenitrile; (a5) (E)-2-(2-acetylphenylhydrazono)-3-oxobutanenitrile; (a6) (E)-2-(2-nitrophenylhydrazono)-3-oxobutanenitrile. All compounds contain the pi-conjugated heterodienic group HN-N=C-C=O and could form, at least in principle, chains of intermolecular N-H.O hydrogen bonds assisted by resonance (RAHB-inter). Compounds (a1) and (a2) form this kind of hydrogen bond though with rather long N.O distances of 2.948 (3) and 2.980 (2) Å, and compound (a6) undergoes the same interaction but even more weakened [N.O 3.150 (1) Å] by the intramolecular bifurcation of the hydrogen bond donated by the N-H group. The intrinsic weakness of the intermolecular RAHB makes possible the setting up of alternative packing arrangements that are controlled by an antiparallel dipole-dipole (DD) interaction between two C=O groups of the beta-ketohydrazone moiety [compounds (a4) and (a5)]. The critical factors that cause the switching between the different packings turn out to be the presence of hydrogen bonding accepting substituents on the phenyl and, most frequently, the intramolecular N-H.O bond with the O atom of the phenyl o-substituent. The crystal packing is widely determined by RAHB-inter (three cases) or DD (two cases) interactions. Only compound (a3) displays a different packing arrangement, where the DD interaction is complemented by a non-resonant hydro-gen bond between a p-acetyl phenyl substituent and the hydrazone N-H group [N.O 2.907 (2) Å]. Crystal densities range from 1.24 to 1.44 Mg m(-3) and are shown to increase with the number of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and other non-van der Waals interactions.

Stereochemistry of serotonin receptor ligands from crystallographic data. Crystal structures of NAN-190.HBr, 1-phenylbiguanide, MDL 72222 and mianserin.HCl and selectivity criteria towards 5-HT1, 5-HT2, and 5-HT3 receptor subtypes.

The crystal and molecular structures of the following serotoninergic drugs have been determined: (1) 1-(2-methoxyphenyl)-4-[4-(2-phthalimido)butyl]piperazine hydrobromide hemihydrate (NAN-190.HBr), C23H28N3O3+.Br-.1/2H2O, M(r) = 483.42, monoclinic, C2/c, a = 21.916 (4), b = 15.207 (2), c = 14.052 (2) A, beta = 101.56 (1) degree, V = 4588 (1) A3, Z = 8, Dx = 1.40 Mgm-3, lambda (Mo K alpha) = 0.71069 A, mu = 1.823 mm-1, F(000) = 2008, T = 295 K, R = 0.035 for 2617 observed reflections; (2) N-phenylimidocarbonimidic diamide (1-phenylbiguanide), C8H11N5, M(r) = 177.21, monoclinic, P2(1)/c, a = 9.781 (2), b = 35.040(5), c = 11.000 (2) A, beta = 97.72(1) degree, V = 3736(1)A3, Z = 16, Dx = 1.26 Mg m-3, lambda (Mo K alpha) = 0.71069 A, mu = 0.084 mm-1, F(000) = 1504, T = 295 K, R = 0.070 for 3407 observed reflections; (3) 8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3yl 3,5-dicholorobenzoate (MDL 72222), C15H17Cl2NO2, M(r) = 314.21, triclinic, P1, alpha = 8.480 (3), b = 9.840 (3), c = 10.158 (4) A, alpha = 90.04 (3), beta = 111.77 (3), gamma = 105.07(3) degrees, V = 755.6(5) A3, Z = 2, Dx = 1.38 Mg m-3, lambda(Mo K alpha) = 0.71069 A, mu = 0.430 mm-1, F(000) = 328, T = 295 K, R = 0.070 for 1685 observed reflections; (4) 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 14b-hexahydro-2-methyldibenzo[c.f]pyrizino[1, 2-alpha]azepine hydrochloride (mianserin. HCl), C18H21N2+. Cl-, M(r) = 300.83, monoclinic, P2(1)/a, a = 9.014 (2), b = 14.917 (2), c = 12.412 (2) A, beta = 108.84 (1) degree, V = 1579.5 (5) A3, Z = 4, Dx = 1.26 Mg m-3, lambda(Mo K alpha) = 0.71069 A, mu = 0.237 mm-1, F(000) = 640, T = 295 K, R = 0.063 for 1493 observed reflections. A systematic structural analysis of the present compounds and others known to interact with the 5-HT1, 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptors allows to identify their similarities with the endogenous ligand serotonin (5-HT) and the stereochemical differences which determine selectivity for the various receptor subtypes. The pharmacophoric feature for 5-HT receptor binding is identified in a constant-length vector linking an aromatic ring with a protonated nitrogen, while specific affinities for receptorial subtypes and the nature of the effect appear to be modulated by the dimensions of the substituents at nitrogen.

A concerted study using binding measurements, X-ray structural data, and molecular modeling on the stereochemical features responsible for the affinity of 6-arylpyrrolo[2,1-d][1,5]benzothiazepines toward mitochondrial benzodiazepine receptors.

The 7-(acyloxy)-6-arylpyrrolo[2,1-d][1,5]benzothiazepine derivatives have been recently proposed as a new class of ligands specific for the mitochondrial benzodiazepine receptor (Fiorini et al. J. Med. Chem. 1994, 37, 1427-1438) (Greco et al. J. Med. Chem. 1994, 37, 4100-4108). In this paper we report the X-ray crystallographic structures of three potent (1-3) and two inactive (4 and 5) previously described benzothiazepines, as well as binding affinity constants for two newly assayed analogs in which the acyloxy side chain was replaced by a methoxy group (6) or removed (7). Structure-affinity relationships and molecular mechanics calculations performed using crystal structures as references have led to a revised 3D pharmacophore model accounting for all the data available up until now. Interestingly, the hypothetical receptor-bound conformations of 1-3 display a considerable degree of similarity with their crystal geometries. Additional calculations have confirmed that the poor affinities of benzothiazepines bearing an aroyloxy group (4 and 5) should be ascribed to the steric and/or electronic features of the side chain aryl moieties rather than to unfavorable conformational properties.

Stereochemical features controlling binding and intrinsic activity properties of benzodiazepine-receptor ligands.

Benzodiazepine-receptor ligands belong to several different chemical classes. All of them bind to the receptor but display a variety of biological effects ranging from agonist to inverse agonist to antagonist. The properties of the most representative compounds for each class are briefly reviewed as concerns their receptor binding affinities, gamma-aminobutyric acid ratios, photoaffinity labeling ratios, and pharmacological properties. Their geometries, as obtained by X-ray crystallography, are discussed and missing crystal and molecular structures of two of them (zopiclone and CL 218-872) are reported. Binding and intrinsic activity properties of series of benzodiazepines and beta-carbolines are extensively analyzed and correlated with their molecular structures. A general stereochemical model accounting for both binding abilities and kinds of biochemical and pharmacological activities for all benzodiazepine-receptor ligands is proposed. This is based on the assumption of a rather diffuse and substantially planar recognition site where the main drug-receptor interactions are mediated by the drug carbonylic or iminic groups via hydrogen bonding and the observed differences in pharmacological profiles are accounted for by the different localization of the different ligands inside this unique binding site.

Crystallographic and conformational studies on histamine H1-receptor antagonists. IV. On the stereochemical vector of antihistaminic activity.

The geometries of 14 histamine H1-receptor antagonists have been compared with the aim of finding out a common stereochemical vector of antihistaminic activity. The results obtained from X-ray crystallographic data have been compared with those obtained by minimizing the conformational energy of the molecules according to a simplified model of force field. Both approaches agree in indicating unique stereochemical requirements for optimum H1-antihistaminic activity.

Pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidine nucleosides. Synthesis and antiviral activity of 1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-3-methyl-6-substituted-7H-pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyr imi din-7-ones.

N1 analogues of formycin B, with substituents at the 3 and 6 positions of the pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidine moiety were synthesized by the direct SnCl4-catalyzed ribosylation method. The site of the glycosidic linkage and the anomeric configurations were established on the basis of X-ray crystallography, as well as 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Preliminary results of the antiviral testing of these derivatives in vitro are described.

Quantitative structure-activity relationship in 1-substituted ureidophenoxy-3-amino-2-propanols, a class of beta-adrenergic blocking agents.

The beta-adrenergic blocking potency of 56 1-substituted ureidophenoxy-3-amino-2-propanols has been analysed in terms of the linear Free-Wilson model. The values obtained for the Free-Wilson coefficients have been correlated with the chemico-physical parameters of the substituents. The preliminary indication given by the Free-Wilson analysis has been confirmed by a quantitative regression analysis, carried out in the frame of the "mixed approach" method.