Soluble-support-assisted electrochemical reactions: application to anodic disulfide bond formation.

A soluble-support-assisted technique was successfully applied to electrochemical reactions, leading to anodic disulfide bond formation. The support-bound peptide was soluble in electrolyte solution, allowing electron transfer at the surface of the electrodes. After completion of the reaction, the support-bound product was recovered as a precipitate by simple dilution of the reaction mixture with poor solvent.

Hydrophobic tag-assisted liquid-phase synthesis of a growth hormone-inhibiting peptide somatostatin.

Hydrophobic tag-assisted liquid-phase peptide synthesis technique and disulfide bond formation have been well-combined, leading to the efficient and practical preparation of a growth hormone-inhibiting peptide somatostatin. Intramolecular disulfide bond formation has successfully been carried out even under relatively high concentrations, enabling the effective peptide modifications in preparative scale.

A practical solution-phase synthesis of an antagonistic peptide of TNF-α based on hydrophobic tag strategy.

A simple acid-resistant hydrophobic tag, which can be removed rapidly in a single-step procedure after overall peptide synthesis, has been developed to accomplish practical solution-phase synthesis of a 15-mer antagonistic peptide of TNF-α (A-TNF-α). Hydrophobically tagged peptides can be separated as precipitates at each step by addition of a polar organic solvent.

Zinc deficiency anemia and effects of zinc therapy in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Quantitative adjuvant zinc therapy using polaprezinc was performed to examine the correlation between zinc concentration and anemia in maintenance hemodialysis patients to propose appropriate treatment. Anemia and serum zinc concentration were measured in 117 patients with chronic renal failure receiving outpatient maintenance hemodialysis at Tsuyama Chuo Kinen Hospital. Two bags of polaprezinc (containing zinc 34 mg/day) were administered to 58 patients with lower than normal zinc levels (Zn < 80 mg/dl) as adjuvant zinc therapy to assess anemia improvement.