[Chemical and Biochemical Reactions of Aromatic Furazan Compounds].

Aromatic furazan has numerous pharmacologic and industrial applications. As part of our work on aromatic furazan chemistry and biochemistry, benzofurazan N-oxides, on irradiation using a high-pressure mercury lamp with a Pyrex filter in acetonitrile containing a little water, afforded 1H-azepine-2,7-dione. Mechanistic studies on the photoreaction using a low-pressure mercury lamp and photosensitizer suggest that photosensitized formation of 1H-azepine-2,7-dione with the aromatic hydrocarbon may be carried out by reabsorption of fluorescence. Quinoxaline 1,4-dioxide, phenazine 5,10-dioxide, and pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazine derivatives were synthesized from the corresponding aromatic or heteroaromatic furazan N-oxides by silica gel or molecular sieves under solvent-free conditions using microwave irradiation. The toxicities of some benzofurazans were examined on Escherichia coli; these may due to their reduction within the E. coli cell and their reoxidization by molecular dioxygen to form superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. The formation of 4,7-dicyanobenzofurazan anion radical in the E. coli cell suspension-4,7-dicyanobenzofurazan-glucose system in the absence of O2 was followed by ESR spectroscopy. 4,7-Dimethylbenzofurazan was transformed by 1O2 produced by irradiation of C60 into 4,7-dimethylbenzofurazan 4,7-endoperoxide. The endoperoxide decomposed back to 4,7-dimethylbenzofurazan at room temperature. 4,7-Dimethylbenzofurazan was transformed by irradiation with the third harmonic of a Quanta-Ray Nd:YAG laser (355 nm) into (2Z,4Z)-2,5-dimethylhexa-2,4-dienedinitrile monoxide. Irradiation of 4,7-dimethylbenzofurazan yielded a photoproduct with a quantum yield 0.48 and chemical yield 99%.

Immunization with 3-oxododecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone-protein conjugate protects mice from lethal Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection.

Quorum-sensing systems have been reported to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of several bacterial infections. Recent data have demonstrated that Pseudomonas N-3-oxododecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C12-homoserine lactone, 3-oxo-C12-HSL), but not N-butanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C4-HSL), induces apoptosis in macrophages and neutrophils. In the present study, the effects of active immunization with 3-oxo-C12-HSL-carrier protein conjugate on acute P. aeruginosa lung infection in mice were investigated. Immunization with 3-oxo-C12-HSL-BSA conjugate (subcutaneous, four times, at 2-week intervals) elaborated significant amounts of specific antibody in serum. Control and immunized mice were intranasally challenged with approximately 3 x 10(6) c.f.u. P. aeruginosa PAO1, and survival was then compared. All control mice died by day 2 post bacterial challenge, while 36 % of immunized mice survived to day 4 (P<0.05). Interestingly, bacterial numbers in the lungs did not differ between control and immunized groups, whereas the levels of pulmonary tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in the immunized mice were significantly lower than those of control mice (P<0.05). Furthermore, the extractable 3-oxo-C12-HSL levels in serum and lung homogenate were also significantly diminished in the immunized mice. Immune serum completely rescued reduction of cell viability by 3-oxo-C12-HSL-mediated apoptosis in macrophages in vitro. These results demonstrated that specific antibody to 3-oxo-C12-HSL plays a protective role in acute P. aeruginosa infection, probably through blocking of host inflammatory responses, without altering lung bacterial burden. The present data identify a promising potential vaccine strategy targeting bacterial quorum-sensing molecules, including autoinducers.

Synthesis of Pseudomonas quorum-sensing autoinducer analogs and structural entities required for induction of apoptosis in macrophages.

The synthesis of the analogs of N-3-oxododecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (1) and their structure-activity relationship for the apoptotic induction in macrophages, P388D1 cells, are described. It was revealed that the position of the oxo group in the acyl side chain in addition to the presence of the L-homoserine lactone unit is crucial for the apoptosis-inducing activity. Furthermore, the long acyl side chains with hydrophobic distal ends are preferable for the activity.