Reinvestigation of the synthesis of isoliquiritigenin: application of Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction and Claisen-Schmidt condensation.

Isoliquiritigenin [ILG, (E)-1] was readily prepared via the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reactions using ß-ketophosphonates 5a, b. An improved protocol for the synthesis of (E)-1 via the Claisen-Schmidt condensation was also presented.

Synthesis and reaction of 1-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane.

The effective formation of 1-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane (5) by treatment of 2-(bromomethyl)pyrrolidine hydrobromide (4) with n-BuLi was established, with the reaction occurring by a rational reaction pathway via the open chain transition state 8 based on intermolecular Br...Li(+) coordination (SN2 process). The reaction of 5 with electrophiles 13a-n gave the corresponding pyrrolidines 14a-n and piperidine 6, 15a-g, i-n. The selectivity of the products in this reaction appeared to be controlled by equilibrium.

Intramolecular nonbonded S...N interaction in rabeprazole.

Intramolecular nonbonded S...N interactions in the crystal structures of the derivatives (7a-d) of sodium rabeprazole (1) and an intermolecular nonbonded S...N interaction between ethylmethylsulfoxide and pyridine in a solution were recognized. These results made us estimate that the intramolecular nonbonded S...N interaction existed in 1 and its derivatives in a solution, and formed the 4-membered quasi-ring in 2 (Fig. 1) followed by the increase of the reactivity of 2 to give the putative spiro sulfoxide 3, which is the key intermediate in the reaction cascade of 1 (Chart 1).

Synthesis of New Quinolone Antibiotics Utilizing Azetidine Derivatives Obtained from 1-Azabicyclo[1.1.0]butane.

A series of 3-sulfenylazetidine derivatives 5a-f were synthesized via the ring-opening reactions of 1-azabicyclo[1.1.0]butane (ABB, 3) with thiols 4a-f in 50-92% yields. Treatment of ABB (3) with aromatic amines 9a-e and dibenzylamine (9f) in the presence of Mg(ClO4)2 afforded the corresponding 3-aminoazetidine derivatives 10a-f in 24-65% yields. N-Benzyl-3-bromoazetidine (13), which was obtained by the reaction of ABB (3) with benzyl bromide, gave 3-aliphatic amino-substituted azetidine derivatives 15a, b. Novel fluoroquinolones 7a-f, 11a-f, 16a, b and 25a-c were obtained by the introduction of these azetidine derivatives into the C7 position of a quinolone nucleus 6 and N1-heterocyclic quinolones 21a-c in 21-83% yields. Some of them exhibited a greater antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in comparison with that of clinically used fluoroquinolone, levofloxacin (LVFX).

Effects of magnesium salts and amines on the stereoselectivity in the imine aldol reaction.

In the imine aldol reactions of 1 with aromatic aldehydes using magnesium salts in the presence of amines, the threo/erythro ratios of products increased in the order Mg(ClO4)2>MgI2>MgBr2>MgCl2>Mg(OTf)2 and N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA)>Et3N. This increase in the threo/erythro ratios of products was estimated to be caused by a retro-imine aldol reaction under thermodynamic control.

Nonenzymatic enantioselective monoacetylation of prochiral 2-protectedamino-2-alkyl-1,3-propanediols utilizing a chiral sulfonamide-Zn complex catalyst.

[structure: see text] Treatment of a chiral sulfonamide with Et(2)Zn gave quantitatively its Zn complex and then the structure was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Reaction of prochiral N-Boc-2-amino-2-alkyl-1,3-propanediols with Ac(2)O in the presence of 5 mol % of chiral sulfonamide-Zn complex catalyst afforded the corresponding chiral monoacetyl products in 70-92% yields with 70-88% ee values. The proposed mechanism for the catalytic monoacetylation of a prochiral 1,3-propanediol was presented on the basis of CSI-MS analysis.

Synthesis and antibacterial activities of new quinolone derivatives utilizing 1-azabicyclo[1.1.0]butane.

The ring-opening reactions of 1-azabicyclo[1.1.0]butane 3 with thiols 6a-f gave 3-sulfenylazetidine derivatives 7a-f in 50-92% yields. Treatment of 3 with aromatic amines 11a-e and dibenzylamine 11f in the presence of Mg(ClO(4))(2) afforded the corresponding 3-aminoazetidine derivatives 12a-f in 24-53% yields. These azetidine derivatives were introduced into the C7 position of a quinolone nucleus 8 to afford the corresponding fluoroquinolones 9a-f and 13a-f in 21-83% yields. Some of them exhibited superior antibacterial activity against quinolone-susceptible MRSA in comparison with clinically used fluoroquinolones, such as levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and gatifloxacin.

Efficient synthesis of isothiocyanates based on the tandem Staudinger/aza-Wittig reactions and mechanistic consideration of the tandem reactions.

The tandem and stepwise Staudinger/aza-Wittig reactions of several azides were examined in detail. The tandem reaction method (Method I) exhibited superior results in the yield of the corresponding isothiocyanates bearing an electron-withdrawing group than the conventional stepwise method (Method II) which involves the sequential treatment of the azides with triphenylphosphine and then carbondisulfide. The mechanistic consideration for both reaction methods was proposed on the basis of the 1H-NMR analyses.

A practical and facile synthesis of azetidine derivatives for oral carbapenem, L-084.

An orally active carbapenem L-084, which exhibits high bioavailability in humans, has a 1-(1,3-thiazolin-2-yl)azetidin-3-ylthio moiety at the C-2 position of the 1beta-methylcarbapenem skeleton. We established a practical and cost-effective synthesis of 3-mercapto-1-(1,3-thiazolin-2-yl)azetidine (1) for further scale-up production of L-084. This synthesis method entails an industry-oriented reaction of azetidine ring-closure to yield N-benzyl-3-hydroxyazetidine (16), which is eventually converted to 1 via key intermediates, Bunte salts 19 and 20.

Highly stereoselective asymmetric Pummerer reactions that incorporate intermolecular and intramolecular nonbonded S...O interactions.

New chiral sulfoxides (R(S),S)-3, (S(S),S)-3, (R(S),S)-4, and (S(S),S)-4 and known chiral sulfoxides (R(S))-5, (R(S))-6, and (R(S))-7 were synthesized, and the stereochemistry of the new sulfoxides (R(S),S)-3 and (R(S),S)-4 was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. In their crystallographic structures, the intramolecular nonbonded S...O close contacts were recognized. Analyses of several sulfoxide complexes including rac-11 with N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC) or N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) in a MeOH solution utilizing cold-spray ionization mass spectrometry provided, for the first time, direct information for intermolecular nonbonded S...O interactions between sulfoxides and amide (or lactam) in a solution. Highly diastereoselective and enantioselective Pummerer reactions based on the concept of intermolecular and intramolecular nonbonded S...O interactions were performed by treatment of several chiral sulfoxides (R(S), S)-3, (S(S), S)-3, (R(S), S)-4, (S(S), S)-4, (R(S))-5, (R(S))-6, and (R(S))-7 with acetic anhydride and trimethylsilyl triflate (TMSOTf) in DMAC, NMP, N,N-dimethylformamide, and N-formylpiperidine. Mechanistic studies on these facile stereoselective Pummerer reactions revealed the necessity for the amide/TMSOTf complex, such as 26 or 27, to be an efficient activation reagent for Ac(2)O and a trapping reagent for the released acetate ion, and that DMAC and NMP had a positive effect on this highly stereoselective chiral transfer reaction.

Syntheses and pharmacokinetic studies of prodrug esters for the development of oral carbapenem, L-084.

We discovered an orally active carbapenem, L-084, through pharmacokinetic studies on various prodrug esters of (1R,5S,6S)-6-[(R)-1-hydroxyethyl]-l-methyl-2-[1-(1,3-thiazolin-2-yl)azetidin-3-yl]thio-1-carbapen-2-em-3-carboxylic acid (LJC11,036). L-084 showed a strong antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and exhibited the highest intestinal absorption among synthesized prodrugs of LJC11,036.

Principle and clinical usefulness of the infrared fluorescence endoscopy.

Since there is no infrared fluorescence materials in the living body, infrared fluorescence labeling materials are very useful for making a diagnosis of a micro cancer. We have developed an infrared fluorescence endoscope (IRFE) and indocyanin green (ICG)-derivative as infrared fluorescence labeling materials to evaluate gastrointestinal neoplastic lesions. The study aims were to apply an IRFE and to demonstrate its usefulness in detecting cancerous tissue using an antibody coupled with ICG-derivative. IRFE consisted of an infrared endoscope equipped with excitation (710-790 nm) and barrier (810-920 nm) filters and an intensified CCD camera. We have developed ICG N-hydroxy sulfo succinimide ester (ICG-sulfo-OSu) and 3-ICG-acyl-1, 3-thiazolidine-2-thione (ICG-ATT) as an infrared fluorescent-labeling reagent. ICG-derivative-labeled mouse anti-human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) antibody and MUC1 antibody were employed in this study. Moreover, we examined the ability of a reinforcement agent, octylglucoside, to intensity fluorescence from the labeled antibody. Biopsy specimens of gastric cancer were stained with anti-CEA antibody by the avidin-biotinylated peroxidase complex method. Among the positive specimens, freshly resected stomach from three cases were used for the infrared (IR) imaging analysis. The incubation of freshly resected stomach specimens with ICG-anti-CEA antibody-complex resulted in positive staining of the tumor sites by IRFE, and the IR fluorescent images correlated well with the tumor sites. The immunohistochemical studies suggested that the intensity of IR fluorescence of ICG-ATT-MUC1 was stronger than that of ICG-sulfo-OSu. In tumor sections, the reinforcement agent intensified fluorescence, ever at low antibody concentrations. Therefore, we conclude that an anti-CEA (and/or MUC1) antibody with affinity for cancerous lesions and labeled with ICG-derivative can be imaged with this IRFE. Specific antibodies tagged with ICG-derivative with the reinforcement agent can label cancer cells and generate a strong enough fluorescent signal to detect small cancers when examined with an IR fluorescence endoscope.

Optimal labeling condition of antibodies available for immunofluorescence endoscopy.

PURPOSE: In recent years, labeled antibodies have been used for diagnostic imaging in many studies. In this study, we investigated the mode of binding in antibodies labeled with ICG derivatives newly developed for the diagnosis of microcarcinomas, and evaluated the optimal binding molar ratio between the labeling compounds and antibody. METHODS: MUC 1 antibody and ICG derivatives (ICG-ATT and ICG-sulfo-OSu) were used. ICG derivatives non-covalently bound to the antibody were removed with ethyl acetate, and the ratio of ICG derivatives covalently bound to the labeled antibody was confirmed. During purification of the labeled antibody, the amount of each labeling compound reacting with 1 molecule of the antibody varied as follows: 4, 8, 16, and 32 molar equivalents. Subsequently, the intensity of fluorescence was evaluated by spectroscopy and infrared fluoroscopy. RESULTS: The ratio of residual ICG derivative labeling the antibody was 67.4% for ICG-ATT and 65.0% for ICG-sulfo-OSu. When fluorescent antibody labeled with ICG-ATT at an F/P ratio of 2.94 or 4.18 was used, specific and clear fluorescent images of the antigen were obtained. When ICG-ATT-labeled antibody at an F/P ratio of 6.50 or 6.75 was used, the fluorescence intensity decreased and the fluorescent images of antigen became unclear. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that the ICG-ATT-labeled antibody was a more specific and sensitive marker than ICG-sulfo-OSu-labeled antibody, and that lower binding molar ratios of ICG-ATT were more useful for labeling the antibody.

Expeditious syntheses of conjugated allenyl esters and oxazoles through a cascade reaction of alpha-alkynyl malonates under alkaline conditions.

Diethyl alpha-alkynyl-alpha-methoxymalonates (2a--e) were smoothly hydrolyzed and then decarboxylated under alkaline conditions employing 1 N KOH in EtOH to give conjugated allenyl esters (6a--e) in high yields, and similar alkaline treatment of diethyl alpha-alkynyl-alpha-acetylaminomalonates (5a, b, d, e) furnished unexpectedly the oxazoles (7a, b, d, e) having three substituent groups in excellent yields.

Fab fragment labeled with ICG-derivative for detecting digestive tract cancer.

BACKGROUND: In previous studies, we generated infrared ray fluorescence-labeled monoclonal antibodies and developed an infrared ray fluorescence endoscope capable of detecting the monoclonal antibodies to establish a novel diagnostic technique for gastrointestinal cancer. Although the whole IgG molecule has commonly been used for preparation of labeled antibodies, labeled IgG displays insufficient sensitivity and specificity, probably resulting from non-specific binding of the Fc fragment to target cells or interference between fluorochromes on the identical labeled antibody, which might be caused by molecular structure. In this in vitro study, we characterized an Fc-free fluorescence-labeled Fab fragment, which was expected to yield more specific binding to target cells than the whole IgG molecule. METHODS: An anti-mucin antibody and ICG-ATT, an ICG derivative, were used as the labeled antibody and labeling compound, respectively. Paraffin sections of excised gastric cancer tissues were subjected to staining. The labeled whole IgG molecule (ICG-ATT-labeled IgG) and the labeled Fab fragment (ICG-ATT-labeled Fab) were prepared according to a previous report, and the fluorescence properties, antibody activities, and features of fluorescence microscope images obtained from paraffin sections were compared. RESULTS: Both ICG-ATT-labeled Fab and ICG-ATT-labeled IgG were excited by a near infrared ray of 766nm, and maximum emission occurred at 804nm. Antibody activities of ICG-ATT-labeled Fab were shown to be similar to those of unlabeled anti-MUC1 antibody. The fluorescence intensity obtained from paraffin sections of excised gastric cancer tissues revealed a tendency to be greater with ICG-ATT-labeled Fab than with ICG-ATT-labeled IgG. CONCLUSIONS: The infrared ray fluorescence-labeled Fab fragment was likely to be more specific than the conventionally labeled antibodies. Fragmentation of antibodies is considered to contribute to improved sensitivity and specificity of labeled antibodies for detection of micro gastrointestinal cancers.

A facile synthesis of novel chiral phosphonoacetates bearing a stereogenic phosphorus atom.

Novel chiral phosphonoacetates bearing a stereogenic phosphorus atom were successfully synthesized by enzyme-catalyzed kinetic resolution of racemic phosphonoacetates.

New ring-expansion reactions of hydroxy propenoyl cyclic compounds under palladium(0)/phosphine-catalyzed conditions.

[reaction: see text] Palladium(0)-catalyzed one-atom ring-expansion of 1-hydroxy-2,2-dialkyl-1-propenoylindan derivatives has been achieved in the presence of P(o-tolyl)(3) giving 2-hydroxy-3,3-dialkyl-2-vinyl-1-tetralone derivatives in excellent yields. This ring-expansion reaction was applied to a 17-(1-oxo-2-propenyl)-beta-estradiol derivative and furnished a similar ring-expanded product in an excellent yield.

Structure-activity relationships of adenosine A3 receptor ligands: new potential therapy for the treatment of glaucoma.

Structure-activity relationships (SAR) of fused 1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-c ]pyrimidine were performed. Various substituents were introduced into the heterocyclic ring to improve the potency of adenosine A(3) receptor binding affinity and A(3)-selectivity against other subtypes. Potent and selective A(3) receptor antagonists were identified and were evaluated in a monkey model of intraocular pressure by eye-drop administration. As a result, compound 1c (OT-7999) was found to significantly decrease intraocular pressure in the animal model.

Facile synthesis of fused 1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine derivatives as human adenosine A3 receptor ligands.

A facile synthetic method for fused triazolopyrimidine derivatives having high affinity and selectivity for human adenosine A(3) receptors is reported. The fused triazolopyrimidine derivatives were easily prepared by one-pot reaction using acylhydrazines and imidates prepared from amine derivatives bearing cyano group and orthoesters in situ. This synthetic method was useful in finding new tricyclic adenosine A(3) receptor antagonists and also in diversifying the substituents at two positions on the fused triazolopyrimidine ring.