Discovery and Optimization of Highly Potent and Selective ATR Antagonists to Relieve Peripheral Neuropathic Pain.

The angiotensin II type 2 receptor (ATR) has attracted much attention as a potential target for the relief of neuropathic pain, which represents an area of unmet clinical need. A series of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines with a benzoxazole side-chain were discovered as potent ATR antagonists. Rational optimization resulted in compound , which demonstrated both excellent antagonistic activity against ATR and analgesic efficacy in a rat chronic constriction injury model.

Synthesis of -labelled oxidized metabolites of the carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon benzo[]pyrene.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as benzo[]pyrene (BP), are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that are implicated in causing lung cancer. BP is a component of tobacco smoke that is transformed enzymatically to active forms that interact with DNA. We reported previously development of a sensitive stable isotope dilution LC/MS method for analysis of BP metabolites.

Regiospecific oxidation of polycyclic aromatic phenols to quinones by hypervalent iodine reagents.

The hypervalent iodine reagents -iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX) and bis(trifluoro-acetoxy)iodobenzene (BTI) are shown to be general reagents for regio-controlled oxidation of polycyclic aromatic phenols (PAPs) to specific isomers (, , or remote) of polycyclic aromatic quinones (PAQs). The oxidations of a series of PAPs with IBX take place under mild conditions to furnish the corresponding -PAQs. In contrast, oxidations of the same series of PAPs with BTI exhibit variable regiospecificity, affording -PAQs where structurally feasible and -PAQs or remote PAQ isomers in other cases.

Synthesis of phenol and quinone metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene, a carcinogenic component of tobacco smoke implicated in lung cancer.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread environmental pollutants produced in the combustion of organic matter. PAHs are present in automobile exhaust and tobacco smoke, and they have recently been designated as human carcinogens. Current evidence indicates that PAHs are activated enzymatically to mutagenic metabolites that interact with DNA.

Synthesis of C-Benzo[]pyrene and its 7,8-Dihydrodiol and 7,8-Dione Implicated as Carcinogenic Metabolites.

Synthesis of the -labelled analogues of the carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon benzo[]pyrene and its active metabolites are described. The method entails Pd-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of a naphthalene boronic acid with 2-bromobenzene-1,3-dialdehyde followed by Wittig reaction of the product with CH=PPh.

Synthesis of dibenzo[def,p]chrysene, its active metabolites, and their 13C-labeled analogues.

Dibenzo[def,p]chrysene (DBC) is a highly carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon suspected to be involved in initiation of lung cancer in smokers. Efficient new syntheses of DBC, its active metabolites [DBC diol (1), DBC dione (2), DBC diol epoxide (3)], and their previously unknown 13C2-labeled analogues are reported. The 13C2-labeled analogues are required as standards for sensitive methods of analysis of their DNA adducts in human cells using stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

Efficient syntheses of C(8)-aryl adducts of adenine and guanine formed by reaction of radical cation metabolites of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with DNA.

The synthesis of the C(8)-aryl adducts of adenine and guanine formed by reaction of the radical cation metabolites of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as benzo[a]pyrene (BP) and dibenzo[def,p]chrysene (DBC), with DNA is reported. The synthetic approach involves in the key step direct reaction of a PAH aldehyde with a di- or triamine precursor of a purine. The method is operationally simple, affords good yields of adducts, and is broad in its scope.

Electrochemically induced cascade reaction for the assembly of libraries of biologically relevant 1,4-benzoxazine derivatives.

The scope and mechanism of an electrochemically induced cascade reaction, which leads to highly substituted 1,4-benzoxazine derivatives, have been explored through the variation of the structure of the o-azaquinone mediator. This reaction sequence, wherein both cycloaddition partners are generated in situ, at room temperature, under metal-free conditions, allows the regiospecific inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) reaction of an o-azaquinone heterodiene and a secondary alkylenamine dienophile, two chemically nonaccessible unstable entities. The cascade reaction was found to be general with electron-poor o-azaquinone entities generated from substituted 2-aminoresorcinol substrates.

A one-pot regiospecific synthesis of highly functionalized 1,4-benzodioxin derivatives from an electrochemically induced Diels-Alder reaction.

[reaction: see text] The anodic oxidation of pyrogallol derivatives produces chemically unstable o-quinone heterodienes, which are trapped in situ by enamine dienophiles through regiospecific inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder reactions. The possibility of introducing variations in both cycloaddition partners gives rise to highly substituted 1,4-benzodioxin cycloadducts with up to five elements of diversity. The reactions proceed under mild conditions with a good efficiency.

Efficient preparation of highly optically active (S)-(-)-2,3-allenols and (R)-(+)-2,3-allenyl acetates by a clean novozym-435-catalyzed enzymatic separation of racemic 2,3-allenols.

Novozym-435 has been found to be an effective biocatalyst for the kinetic resolution of a series of racemic 2,3-allenols, affording highly optically active (S)-(-)-2,3-allenols and (R)-(+)-2,3-allenyl acetates in high yields and with excellent ee values. The reaction of 3-(n-butyl)-3,4-pentadien-2-ol (1 a) was successfully performed on a 10 g scale to afford the corresponding (S)-(-)-2,3-allenol (1 a) and (R)-(+)-2,3-allenyl acetate (2 a) in synthetically useful amounts and with high ee values. The advantages of this reaction are the ready availability of the starting materials, high stereoselectivities for both (-)-2,3-allenols and (+)-2,3-allenyl acetates, the use of a relatively high substrate concentration, and a lower catalyst loading.