One-pot tandem reduction and site-selective halogenation of nitroarenes.

Halogenated aryl amines are a widely used chemical feedstock in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. Achieving a single regioselective product from the -selective halogenation of the aryl ring is significantly challenging because of the presence of several C-H bonds with similar reactivities. In this study, single -halogenated aniline derivatives were prepared by the cascade -selective halogenation (Cl, Br) and reduction of nitrobenzene derivatives using a mixture of SnCl/SnCl salts.

Differential roles of serotonin receptor subtypes in regulation of neurotrophin receptor expression and intestinal hypernociception.

Objectives: Aberrant serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) metabolism and neurite outgrowth were associated with abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We previously demonstrated that 5-HT receptor subtype 7 (5-HT₇) was involved in visceral hypersensitivity of IBS-like mouse models. The aim was to compare the analgesic effects of a novel 5-HT₇ antagonist to reference standards in mouse models and investigate the mechanisms of 5-HT₇-dependent neuroplasticity.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of C-4 substituted phenoxazine-bearing hydroxamic acids with potent class II histone deacetylase inhibitory activities.

Class II histone deacetylases (HDACs) are considered as potential targets to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previously, C-3 substituted phenothiazine-containing compounds with class II HDAC-inhibiting activities was found to promote neurite outgrowth. This study replaced phenothiazine moiety with phenoxazine that contains many C-3 and C-4 substituents.

5-HT receptor-dependent intestinal neurite outgrowth contributes to visceral hypersensitivity in irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by visceral hypersensitivity (VH) associated with abnormal serotonin/5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) metabolism and neurotrophin-dependent mucosal neurite outgrowth. The underlying mechanisms of VH remain poorly understood. We investigated the role of 5-HT receptor in mucosal innervation and intestinal hyperalgesia.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of phenothiazine derivative-containing hydroxamic acids as potent class II histone deacetylase inhibitors.

The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been associated with dysregulation of histone deacetylases (HDACs). Previously, acridine-based HDAC inhibitors have shown potential in ameliorating HDAC activity and enhancing neurite outgrowth. In this study, the acridine ring was modified using various phenothiazine derivatives.

Synthesis and analysis of 4-(3-fluoropropyl)-glutamic acid stereoisomers to determine the stereochemical purity of (4S)-4-(3-[18F]fluoropropyl)-L-glutamic acid ([18F]FSPG) for clinical use.

(4S)-4-(3-[18F]Fluoropropyl)-L-glutamic acid ([18F]FSPG) is a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agent for measuring the system xC- transporter activity. It has been used for the detection of various cancers and metastasis in clinical trials. [18F]FSPG is also a promising diagnostic tool for evaluation of multiple sclerosis, drug resistance in chemotherapy, inflammatory brain diseases, and infectious lesions.

Synthesis and evaluation of 2-(2'-((dimethylamino)methyl)-4'-(2-fluoroethoxy-substituted)phenylthio)benzenamine derivatives as potential positron emission tomography imaging agents for serotonin transporters.

A series of diphenylsulfide derivatives with various substitutions at the 4-position on phenyl ring A and different lengths of the 2-fluoroethoxy-substituted side-chain at the 4'-position on ring B were synthesized and evaluated as potential positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agents for serotonin transporters (SERT). These ligands exhibited high SERT binding affinities (K = 0.11-1.

A novel isoquinoline derivative exhibits anti-inflammatory properties and improves the outcomes of endotoxemia.

Background: Sepsis initiates an inflammatory response that causes widespread injury, and candidates for related myocardial depressant factors include cytokines and nitric oxide (NO). Nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) stimulated by toll-like receptor 4 activation in sepsis mediates the transcription of multiple proinflammatory genes. These inflammatory mediators can cause myocardial dysfunction, which may deteriorate sepsis outcomes.

High-selective HDAC6 inhibitor promotes HDAC6 degradation following autophagy modulation and enhanced antitumor immunity in glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is the most fatal type of primary brain cancer, and current treatments for glioblastoma are insufficient. HDAC6 is overexpressed in glioblastoma, and siRNA-mediated knockdown of HDAC6 inhibits glioma cell proliferation. Herein, we report a high-selective HDAC6 inhibitor, J22352, which has PROTAC (proteolysis-targeting chimeras)-like property resulted in both p62 accumulation and proteasomal degradation, leading to proteolysis of aberrantly overexpressed HDAC6 in glioblastoma.

Prospective comparison of (4S)-4-(3-F-fluoropropyl)-L-glutamate versus F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT for detecting metastases from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a proof-of-concept study.

Purpose: (4S)-4-(3-F-Fluoropropyl)-L-glutamate (FSPG) positron emission tomography (PET) reflects system x transporter (xCT) expression. FSPG PET has been used to detect brain, lung, breast and liver cancer with only modest success. There is no report on the use of FSPG PET in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), presumably because of normal xCT expression in the pancreas.

Targeting breast cancer stem cells by novel HDAC3-selective inhibitors.

Although histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been known to suppress the cancer stem cell (CSC) population in multiple types of cancer cells, it remains unclear which HDAC isoforms and corresponding mechanisms contribute to this anti-CSC activity. Pursuant to our previous finding that HDAC8 regulates CSCs in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells by targeting Notch1 stability, we investigated related pathways and found HDAC3 to be mechanistically linked to CSC homeostasis by increasing β-catenin expression through the Akt/GSK3β pathway. Accordingly, we used a pan-HDAC inhibitor, AR-42 (1), as a scaffold to develop HDAC3-selective inhibitors, obtaining the proof-of-concept with 18 and 28.

Identification of Buctopamine and Mebuctopamine, a β Receptor Agonist and Its Metabolite, in Swine Hair and Feed Additives.

4-[2-(t-Butylamino)-1-hydroxyethyl]phenol (buctopamine, 4), a new β receptor agonist (β-agonist), was found to be an adulterant in feed additives for swine in Taiwan, where using β-agonists in food-production animals is prohibited. Buctopamine and its metabolite, 4-[2-(t-butylamino)-1-hydroxyethyl]-2-methoxyphenol (mebuctopamine, 2), were detected in swine hair specimens. Authentic compounds 2 and 4 were synthesized with 98.

Fast and Facile Synthesis of 4-Nitrophenyl 2-Azidoethylcarbamate Derivatives from N-Fmoc-Protected α-Amino Acids as Activated Building Blocks for Urea Moiety-Containing Compound Library.

A fast and facile synthesis of a series of 4-nitrophenyl 2-azidoethylcarbamate derivatives as activated urea building blocks was developed. The N-Fmoc-protected 2-aminoethyl mesylates derived from various commercially available N-Fmoc-protected α-amino acids, including those having functionalized side chains with acid-labile protective groups, were directly transformed into 4-nitrophenyl 2-azidoethylcarbamate derivatives in 1 h via a one-pot two-step reaction. These urea building blocks were utilized for the preparation of a series of urea moiety-containing mitoxantrone-amino acid conjugates in 75-92% yields and parallel solution-phase synthesis of a urea compound library consisted of 30 members in 38-70% total yields.

A Novel Potential Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Agent for Vesicular Monoamine Transporter Type 2.

In the early 1990s, 9-(+)-11C-dihydrotetrabenazine (9-(+)-11C-DTBZ) was shown to be a useful positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agent for various neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we described the radiosynthesis and evaluation of the 9-(+)-11C-DTBZ analog, 10-(+)-11C-DTBZ, as a vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) imaging agent and compare it with 9-(+)-11C-DTBZ. 10-(+)-11C-DTBZ was obtained by 11C-MeI methylation with its 10 hydroxy precursor in the presence of 5 M NaOH.

Mechanisms of amphetamine action illuminated through optical monitoring of dopamine synaptic vesicles in Drosophila brain.

Amphetamines elevate extracellular dopamine, but the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. Here we show in rodents that acute pharmacological inhibition of the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT) blocks amphetamine-induced locomotion and self-administration without impacting cocaine-induced behaviours. To study VMAT's role in mediating amphetamine action in dopamine neurons, we have used novel genetic, pharmacological and optical approaches in Drosophila melanogaster.

Topoisomerase II inhibition suppresses the proliferation of telomerase-negative cancers.

Telomere maintenance is required for chromosome stability, and telomeres are typically elongated by telomerase following DNA replication. In both tumor and yeast cells that lack telomerase, telomeres are maintained via an alternative recombination mechanism. Previous studies have indicated that yeast Sgs1 and Top3 may work together to remove highly negative supercoils that are generated from recombination.

Activation of serotonin 5-HT₇ receptor induces coronary flow increase in isolated rat heart.

Serotonin (5-Hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) can elicit both vasoconstrictive and relaxant responses on rat coronary artery. The constrictive response has been well discussed, but the mechanism of relaxant response is less studied. In the present study, we found serotonin (0.

Quinazolin-4-one derivatives as selective histone deacetylase-6 inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Novel quinazolin-4-one derivatives containing a hydroxamic acid moiety were designed and synthesized. All compounds were subjected to histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymatic assays to identify selective HDAC6 inhibitors with nanomolar IC50 values. (E)-3-(2-Ethyl-7-fluoro-4-oxo-3-phenethyl-3,4-dihydroquinazolin-6-yl)-N-hydroxyacrylamide, 4b, is the most potent HDAC6 inhibitor (IC50, 8 nM).

Anthracenedione-methionine conjugates are novel topoisomerase II-targeting anticancer agents with favorable drug resistance profiles.

Structure-associated drug resistance and DNA-unwinding abilities have greatly limited the clinical usage of anthracenediones, including mitoxantrone (MX) and ametantrone (AT), which intercalate into DNA and induce topoisomerase II (TOP2)-mediated DNA break. We studied a series of 1,4-bis(2-amino-ethylamino) MX- and AT-amino acid conjugates (M/AACs) and showed that abilities in cancer cell killing correlate with the amounts of chromosomal DNA breaks induced by M/AACs. Notably, the 1,4-bis-L/l-methionine-conjugated MAC (L/LMet-MAC) exhibits DNA-breaking, cancer cell-killing and anti-tumor activities rivaling those of MX.

Synthesis and opioid activity of enantiomeric N-substituted 2,3,4,4a,5,6,7,7a-octahydro-1H-benzofuro[3,2-e]isoquinolines.

A series of enantiomeric N-substituted 2,3,4,4a,5,6,7,7a-octahydro-1H-benzofuro[3,2-e]isoquinolines was synthesized. The (-)-enantiomers had much greater kappa-, mu-, and delta-opioid receptor binding affinity than the corresponding (+)-enantiomers. Compounds (-)-1a, (-)-1b, and (-)-1c displayed subnanomolar binding affinity for the mu-receptor, and (-)-1b had a high affinity for the kappa-receptor.

Identification of a novel "almost neutral" micro-opioid receptor antagonist in CHO cells expressing the cloned human mu-opioid receptor.

The basal (constitutive) activity of G protein-coupled receptors allows for the measurement of inverse agonist activity. Some competitive antagonists turn into inverse agonists under conditions where receptors are constitutively active. In contrast, neutral antagonists have no inverse agonist activity, and they block both agonist and inverse agonist activity.

Design and synthesis of 2- and 3-substituted-3-phenylpropyl analogs of 1-[2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy]ethyl]-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazine and 1-[2-(diphenylmethoxy)ethyl]-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazine: role of amino, fluoro, hydroxyl, methoxyl, methyl, methylene, and oxo substituents on affinity for the dopamine and serotonin transporters.

Novel derivatives of 1-[2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy]ethyl]-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazine (GBR 12909, 1) and 1-[2-(diphenylmethoxy)ethyl]-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazine (GBR 12935, 2) with various substituents in positions C2 and C3 of the phenylpropyl side chain were synthesized and evaluated for their ability to bind to the dopamine transporter (DAT) and the serotonin transporter (SERT). In the C2 series, the substituent in the S-configuration, with a lone-pair of electrons, significantly enhanced the affinity for DAT, whereas the steric effect of the substituent was detrimental to DAT binding affinity. In the C3 series, neither the lone electron pair nor the steric effect of the substituent seemed to affect DAT binding affinity, while sp (2) hybridized substituents had a detrimental effect on affinity for DAT.

WRC-213, an l-methionine-conjugated mitoxantrone derivative, displays anticancer activity with reduced cardiotoxicity and drug resistance: identification of topoisomerase II inhibition and apoptotic machinery in prostate cancers.

Anthracyclines and anthracenediones are well-known cancer chemotherapeutic agents but their uses are limited with cardiotoxicity and drug resistance. Several l- and d-form amino acids were introduced into the anthraquinone skeleton and numerous derivatives were synthesized for the evaluation of anticancer activity. The screening tests showed that WRC-213, an l-methionine conjugation, was the most effective derivative to inhibit proliferative effect of human androgen-independent prostate cancer PC-3 cells (IC50=50 nM).