Accumulation of ammonium in Norway spruce (Picea abies) seedlings measured by in vivo 14N-NMR.

(14)N-NMR and (31)P-NMR have been used to monitor the in vivo pH in roots, stems, and needles from seedlings of Norway spruce, a typical ammonium-tolerant plant. The vacuolar and cytoplasmic pH measured by (31)P-NMR was found to be c. pH 4.8 and 7.0, respectively, with no significant difference between plants growing with ammonium or nitrate as the N-source. The (1)H-coupled (14) NH 4+ resonance is pH-sensitive: at alkaline pH it is a narrow singlet line and below pH 4 it is an increasing multiplet line with five signals. The pH values in ammonium-containing compartments measured by (14)N-NMR ranged from 3.7 to 3.9, notably lower than the estimated pH values of the P(i) pools. This suggests that, in seedlings of Norway spruce, ammonium is stored in vacuoles with low pH possibly to protect the seedlings against the toxic effects of ammonium ( NH 4+) or ammonia (NH3). It was also found that concentrations of malate were 3-6 times higher in stems than in roots and needles, with nitrate-grown plants containing more malate than plants grown with ammonium.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of homeopathic solutions.

The efficacy of homeopathy is controversial. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been used to study homeopathic solutions, showing provocative results. We examined the reproducibility of one of the allegedly positive studies. 1H NMR spectra were recorded for Sulphur D4, diluted and succussed up to D30 (called potentization) at two different frequencies (300 and 500 MHz). The Sulphur solution had been potentiated according to homeopathic principles with deionized water and alcohol. Water proton T1 relaxation measurements were performed also at 20 MHz for the different potentiated Sulphur solutions. Furthermore, the homeopathic remedy Betula alba 30c (birch pollen extract) and appropriate control solution (deionized water, unsuccussed solutions and placebo globules) were measured analogously, both with frequencies giving spectra and T1 relaxometry. The Sulphur remedies showed identical one dimensional proton spectra (1H NMR) at 300 and 500 MHz, regardless of dilution/succussion stage, from D4 to D30. Furthermore, Betula 30c as a potentiated solution and its controls (ethanol dilutions and Betula diluted but not succussed) showed identical spectra. Nor were there any statistically significant differences in longitudinal (T1) relaxation times between deionized water and Sulphur D10 to D30 preparations. The shorter T1 of the Sulphur D4 preparation could be ascribed to the higher microviscosity within the sample matrix caused by the high concentration of dissolved material. Also, the T1 values of the Betula alba 30c preparation (in globular form) and control placebo globules were identical. In conclusion, published results from NMR research on homeopathy indicating differences between homeopathic solutions and control samples could not be reproduced.

Synthesis of 5-substituted pyrrolo[1,2-b]pyridazines with antioxidant properties.

5-Substituted pyrrolo[1,2-b]pyridazines have been prepared by cyclisation of pyridazine with diphenylcyclopropenone followed by further functionalisations in the pyrrolo[1,2-b]pyridazine 5-position. Several compound exhibit profound inhibition of lipid peroxidation in vitro. Lipid peroxidation of boiled rat liver microsomes was induced by ascorbic acid/FeSO4 and the peroxidation was determined by measuring the thiobarbituric acid reactive material.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of homeopathic solutions

The efficacy of homeopathy is controversial. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been used to study homeopathic solutions, showing provocative results. We examined the reproducibility of one of the allegedly positive studies. H NMR spectra were recorded for Sulphur D4, diluted and succussed up to D30 (called potentization) at two different... (AU)

Epimerization of benzo[a]pyrene-tetrols after acid hydrolysis, implications for determination of benzo[a]pyrene adducts in protein and DNA.

Determination of benzo[a]pyrene-DNA or protein adducts with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after acid hydrolysis at high temperature (90 degrees C) enables four isomers of benzo[a]pyrene tetrahydrotetrol to be identified and quantitated. We have investigated the effect of acid treatment of benzo[a]pyrene-tetrahydrotetrol isomers using HPLC and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) analysis. By HPLC, we found reversible epimerization of (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,9, 10-tetrahydrotetrol to (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,9, c-10-tetrahydrotetrol and of (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,c-9, t-10-tetrahydrotetrol to (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,c-9, 10-tetrahydrotetrol, but no interconversion between the two isomer groups. After acid hydrolysis, we found an equilibrium of 87% (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,9,c-10-tetrahydrotetrol and 9% (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,9,10-tetrahydrotetrol and 68% (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,c-9,10-tetrahydrotetrol and 20% (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,c-9,t-10-tetrahydrotetrol. Minor amounts of two unknown compounds with similar chromatographic characteristics were also found. We have established a NMR method for determination of underivatized (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,9, c-10-tetrahydrotetrol and (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,9, 10-tetrahydrotetrol confirming the epimerization of (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,9,10-tetrahydrotetrol to (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,9,c-10- tetrahydrotetrol. (+/-)-Benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,9,10-tetrahydrotetrol was treated with aqueous hydrochloric acid in tetrahydro- furan-d8 to give (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,9,c-10-tetrahydrotetrol at 57 degrees C while observing the 1H NMR resonances at 500 MHz. Gradient-selected correlation spectroscopy (COSY), heteronuclear multiple quantum correlation (HMQC) and heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC) experiments were performed to confirm the assignments of the aliphatic hydrogens in the product (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,9, c-10-terahydrotetrol. Thus, when analyzing benzo[a]pyrene-DNA or protein adducts by cleaving the adducts with acid hydrolysis, the only ratio of biological significance is between (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,9,c-10-tetrahydrotetrol plus (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,9,10-tetrahydrotetrol and (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,c-9,10-tetrahydrotetrol plus (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,c-9,t-10-tetrahydrotetrol, due to interconversion (epimerization) at C-10.

Inhibition of lipid peroxidation mediated by indolizines.

Esters, ethers, carbonates and carbamates of 1-indolizinols and azaindolizinols exhibit a profound inhibition of lipid peroxidation in vitro. The antioxidants were prepared by cyclization of pyridines and diazines with diphenylcyclopropenone followed by introduction of the O-substituent.

Ether, carbonate and urethane deoxynucleoside derivatives as prodrugs.

3'-Deoxythymidine and its 3'-azido derivative, 2',3'-dideoxycytidine, 2',3'-dideoxyinosine and 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine have been acylated to form carbonates and urethanes in chemoselective reactions. The nucleosides have been N- and/or O-alkylated by alpha-chloroethyl or chloromethyl alkyl carbonates to form alpha-alkyloxycarbonyloxyethyl or alkyloxycarbonyloxymethyl derivatives. The products are lipophilic in order to facilitate transport through biological membranes and are designed to be cleaved by esterases with liberation of the bioactive nucleoside. Initial esterase cleavage of the alkylated derivatives produces hemiacetals or -aminals which subsequently dissociate to the active nucleoside.

13C NMR studies of wheat germ agglutinin interactions with N-acetylglucosamine at a magnetically oriented bilayer surface.

The orientation of synthetic 13C-labeled glycolipid receptors and their interaction with the plant lectin wheat germ agglutinin have been studied in an oriented membrane system using NMR spectroscopy. A series of 2-[1,2-13C2]acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosides were synthesized with between zero and four hydrophilic ethoxy units between the headgroup and an alkyl chain which anchors the receptors in the bilayers. The chemical shift anisotropy of the 13C carbonyl and a 13C-13C dipolar coupling between the labeled carbons provide information about the orientation and dynamics of the receptor headgroup in oriented membrane systems. It was found that the headgroups of the receptors with two, three, or four ethoxy units appeared isotropic when incorporated in the oriented bilayers, but those of the receptors with zero or one ethoxy units were significantly ordered by the bilayers. The average orientations consistent with measured spectral parameters were determined for the receptors with zero and one ethoxy units and were found to coincide with low-energy conformations from molecular modeling. When the plant lectin wheat germ agglutinin was added to the sample, only the receptors with two, three, or four ethoxy units separating the headgroup from the alkyl chain showed evidence of binding by the lectin. Although the 13C-labeled resonances broadened when the protein bound, no changes in dipolar couplings or chemical shift anisotropies could be detected, suggesting that the motion of the headgroup was slowed by protein binding, but average orientation and overall order changed little. Competition studies demonstrated that none of the lectin/receptor complexes are more stable than the complex of the lectin and N-acetylglucosamine in solution. These results suggest that the membrane does not stabilize the interactions of wheat germ agglutinin with these cell-surface receptors. Furthermore, molecular modeling demonstrates that the zero- and one-spacer receptors may not bind wheat germ agglutinin because the orientations of the N-acetyl groups in these receptors would result in significant steric contacts between the lectin/receptor complex and the membrane.

Sodium 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate in reversible adduct formation and water solubilization.

Sodium 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate (MESNA, coenzyme M) forms 1:1 covalent adducts with highly pi-electron deficient heterocycles. The addition is caused by the thiol function, and the adducts become water soluble as sulfonates. 1H NMR spectroscopy has been used to obtain information about electronic and steric effects on the equilibria between 2-pyrimidinones and their 1:1 MESNA adducts. The adducts are potential prodrugs for biologically interesting 2-pyrimidinones.