Infinite Concentration Research Articles

Modulation of the Cellular Accumulation and Intracellular Activity of Daptomycin towards Phagocytized Staphylococcus aureus by the P-Glycoprotein (MDR1) Efflux Transporter in Human THP-1 Macrophages and Madin-Darby Canine Kidney Cells

P-glycoprotein (P-gp; MDR1), a major efflux transporter, recognizes various antibiotics and is present in macrophages. We have examined its effect on the modulation of the intracellular accumulation and activity of daptomycin towards phagocytized Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) in human THP-1 macrophages, in comparison with MDCK epithelial cells (wild type and MDCK-MDR1 overexpressing P-gp; the bulk of the protein was immunodetected at the surface of all three cell types). Daptomycin displayed concentration-dependent intracellular activity (Hill equation pattern) in THP-1 and MDCK cells with (i) 50% effective drug extracellular concentration (EC(50); relative potency) and static concentrations at 9 to 10 times the MIC and (ii) maximal efficacy (E(max); CFU decrease at infinite extracellular drug concentration) at 1.6 to 2 log compared to that of the postphagocytosis inoculum. Verapamil (100 microM) and elacridar (GF 120918; 0.5 microM), two known inhibitors of P-gp, decreased daptomycin EC(50) (about threefold) in THP-1 and MDCK cells without affecting E(max). Daptomycin EC(50) was about three- to fourfold higher and accumulation in MDCK-MDR1 commensurately lower than in wild-type cells. In THP-1 macrophages, (i) verapamil and ATP depletion increased, and ouabain (an inducer of mdr1 [the gene encoding P-gp] expression) decreased the accumulation of daptomycin in parallel with that of DiOC(2) (a known substrate of P-gp); (ii) silencing mdr1 with duplex human mdr1 siRNAs reduced the cell content in immunoreactive P-gp to 15 to 30% of controls and caused an eight- to 13-fold increase in daptomycin accumulation. We conclude that daptomycin is subject to efflux from THP-1 macrophages and MDCK cells by P-gp, which reduces its intracellular activity against phagocytized S. aureus.

Application of mass spectrometer-inverse gas chromatography to study polymer–solvent diffusivity and solubility

The application of a mass spectrometer detector in capillary column inverse gas chromatography is shown to be a valuable tool in the measurement of diffusion and solubility in polymer–solvent systems. The component specific detector provides excellent results for binary polymer–solvent systems, but it is particularly valuable because it can be readily applied to multicomponent systems. Results for a number of infinitely dilute solvents in poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) are reported over a range of temperature from 60 to 150 °C. Results are also reported for finite concentrations of toluene and methanol in PVAc from 60 to 110 °C. Finally, the technique was applied to study the effect of finite concentrations of toluene on the diffusion coefficients of THF and cyclohexane in PVAc. The experimental data compare well with literature values for both infinite and finite concentrations, indicating that the experimental protocol described in this work is sound.

Src Tail Phosphorylation Is Limited by Structural Changes in the Regulatory Tyrosine Kinase Csk

Src family tyrosine kinases are down-regulated through phosphorylation of a single C-terminal tyrosine by the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase Csk. Despite the fundamental role of Csk in controlling cell growth and differentiation, it is unclear what limits this key signaling reaction and controls the production of catalytically repressed Src. To investigate this issue, stopped-flow fluorescence experiments were performed to determine which steps modulate catalysis. Both Src binding and phosphorylation can be monitored by changes in intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence. Association kinetics are biphasic with the initial phase corresponding to the bimolecular interaction of both proteins and the second phase representing a slow conformational change that coincides with the rate of maximum turnover. The kinetic transients for the phosphorylation reaction are also biphasic with the initial phase corresponding to the rapid phosphorylation and the release of phospho-Src. These data, along with equilibrium sedimentation and product inhibition experiments, suggest that steps involving Src association, phosphorylation, and product release are fast and that a structural change in Csk participates in limiting the catalytic cycle.

Site-directed Mutations of T4 Helicase Loading Protein (gp59) Reveal Multiple Modes of DNA Polymerase Inhibition and the Mechanism of Unlocking by gp41 Helicase

The T4 helicase loading protein (gp59) interacts with a multitude of DNA replication proteins. In an effort to determine the functional consequences of these protein-protein interactions, point mutations were introduced into the gp59 protein. Mutations were chosen based on the available crystal structure and focused on hydrophobic residues with a high degree of solvent accessibility. Characterization of the mutant proteins revealed a single mutation, Y122A, which is defective in polymerase binding and has weakened affinity for the helicase. The interaction between single-stranded DNA-binding protein and Y122A is unaffected, as is the affinity of Y122A for DNA substrates. When standard concentrations of helicase are employed, Y122A is unable to productively load the helicase onto forked DNA substrates. As a result of the loss of polymerase binding, Y122A cannot inhibit the polymerase during nucleotide idling or prevent it from removing the primer strand of a D-loop. However, Y122A is capable of inhibiting strand displacement synthesis by polymerase. The retention of strand displacement inhibition by Y122A, even in the absence of a gp59-polymerase interaction, indicates that there are two modes of polymerase inhibition by gp59. Inhibition of the polymerase activity only requires gp59 to bind to the replication fork, whereas inhibition of the exonuclease activity requires an interaction between the polymerase and gp59. The inability of Y122A to interact with both the polymerase and the helicase suggests a mechanism for polymerase unlocking by the helicase based on a direct competition between the helicase and polymerase for an overlapping binding site on gp59.

Synthesis of Tricyclic 1,3-Oxazin-4-ones and Kinetic Analysis of Cholesterol Esterase and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition

A series of thieno[1,3]oxazin-4-ones and thieno[1,3]thiazin-4-ones were synthesized and investigated as inhibitors of the alpha/beta hydrolases cholesterol esterase (CEase) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The introduction of a cycloaliphatic five- or six-membered ring fused at the thiophene was favorable for CEase inhibition. Such compounds were analyzed as true alternate substrate inhibitors. 6,7-Dihydro-2-(dimethylamino)-4H,5H-cyclopenta[4,5]thieno[2,3-d][1,3]oxazin-4-one (33) exhibited a K(i) value of 630 nM and excelled in its low susceptibility to CEase-catalyzed degradation. Compound 33 and its analogues did not inhibit AChE. The introduction of a tetrahydropyrido ring with bulky hydrophobic substituents at the basic nitrogen provided inhibitors of AChE which were completely inactive toward CEase. 7-Benzyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-(N-3,4-dimethoxybenzyl-N-methylamino)-4H-pyrido[4',3':4,5]thieno[2,3-d][1,3]oxazin-4-one (21) had the IC(50) value of 330 nM for AChE inhibition. A residual enzymatic activity at an infinite inhibitor concentration and thus a catalytically active ternary enzyme-substrate-inhibitor complex was concluded. To specify kinetic parameters of inhibition, a new method was derived to characterize selected thieno[1,3]oxazin-4-ones as hyperbolic mixed-type inhibitors of AChE.

Reconstruction of the Complete Ouabain-binding Pocket of Na,K-ATPase in Gastric H,K-ATPase by Substitution of Only Seven Amino Acids

Although cardiac glycosides have been used as drugs for more than 2 centuries and their primary target, the sodium pump (Na,K-ATPase), has already been known for 4 decades, their exact binding site is still elusive. In our efforts to define the molecular basis of digitalis glycosides binding we started from the fact that a closely related enzyme, the gastric H,K-ATPase, does not bind glycosides like ouabain. Previously, we showed that a chimera of these two enzymes, in which only the M3-M4 and M5-M6 hairpins were of Na,K-ATPase, bound ouabain with high affinity (Koenderink, J. B., Hermsen, H. P. H., Swarts, H. G. P., Willems, P. H. G. M., and De Pont, J. J. H. H. M. (2000) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 97, 11209-11214). We also demonstrated that only three amino acids (Phe(783), Thr(797), and Asp(804)) present in the M5-M6 hairpin of Na,K-ATPase were sufficient to confer high affinity ouabain binding to a chimera which contained in addition the M3-M4 hairpin of Na,K-ATPase (Qiu, L. Y., Koenderink, J. B., Swarts, H. G., Willems, P. H., and De Pont, J. J. H. H. M. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 47240-47244). To further pinpoint the ouabain-binding site here we used a chimera-based loss-of-function strategy and identified four amino acids (Glu(312), Val(314), Ile(315), Gly(319)), all present in M4, as being important for ouabain binding. In a final gain-of-function study we showed that a gastric H,K-ATPase that contained Glu(312), Val(314), Ile(315), Gly(319), Phe(783), Thr(797), and Asp(804) of Na,K-ATPase bound ouabain with the same affinity as the native enzyme. Based on the E(2)P crystal structure of Ca(2+)-ATPase we constructed a homology model for the ouabain-binding site of Na,K-ATPase involving all seven amino acids as well as several earlier postulated amino acids.

Interaction between the Catalytic Site and the A-M3 Linker Stabilizes E2/E2P Conformational States of Na+,K+-ATPase

The consequences of mutations Ile(265) --> Ala, Thr(267) --> Ala, Gly(271) --> Ala, and Gly(274) --> Ala for the partial reaction steps of the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase transport cycle were analyzed. The mutated residues are part of the long loop ("A-M3 linker") connecting the cytoplasmic A-domain with transmembrane segment M3. It was found that mutation Ile(265) --> Ala displaces the E(1)-E(2) and E(1)P-E(2)P equilibria in favor of E(1)/E(1)P, whereas mutations Thr(267) --> Ala, Gly(271) --> Ala, and Gly(274) --> Ala displace these conformational equilibria in favor of E(2)/E(2)P. The mutations affect both the rearrangement of the cytoplasmic domains (seen by changes in phosphoenzyme properties and apparent ATP/vanadate affinities) and the membrane sector (indicated by change in K(+)/Rb(+) deocclusion rate). Destabilization of E(2)/E(2)P in Ile(265) --> Ala, as well as a direct effect on the intrinsic affinity of the E(2) form for vanadate, may be explained on the basis of the E(2) crystal structures of the Ca(2+)-ATPase, showing interaction of the equivalent isoleucine with conserved residues near the catalytic region of the P-domain. The rate of phosphorylation from ATP was unaffected in Ile(265) --> Ala, indicating a lack of interference with the catalytic function in E(1)/E(1)P. The effects of mutations Thr(267) --> Ala, Gly(271) --> Ala, and Gly(274) --> Ala provide the first evidence in the literature of a relative stabilization of E(2)/E(2)P resulting from perturbation of the A-M3 linker region. These mutations may lead to increased strain of the A-M3 linker in E(1)/E(1)P, increased stability of the A3 helix of the A-M3 linker in E(2)/E(2)P, and/or a change of the orientation of the A3 helix, facilitating its interaction with the P-domain.

Trypanothione Synthesis in Crithidia Revisited

In Crithidia fasciculata the biosynthesis of trypanothione (N(1),N(8)-bis(glutathionyl)spermidine; reduced trypanothione), a redox mediator unique to and essential for pathogenic trypanosomatids, was assumed to be achieved by two distinct enzymes, glutathionylspermidine synthetase and trypanothione synthetase (TryS), and only the first one was adequately characterized. We here report that the TryS of C. fasciculata, like that of Trypanosoma species, catalyzes the entire synthesis of trypanothione, whereas its glutathionylspermidine synthetase appears to be specialized for Gsp synthesis. A gene (GenBanktrade mark accession number AY603101) implicated in reduced trypanothione synthesis of C. fasciculata was isolated from genomic DNA and expressed in Escherichia coli as His-tagged or Nus fusion proteins. The expression product proved to be a trypanothione synthetase (Cf-TryS) that also displayed a glutathionylspermidine synthetase, an amidase, and marginal ATPase activity. The dual specificity of the Cf-TryS preparations was not altered by removal of the tags. Steady-state kinetic analysis of Cf-TryS yielded a pattern that was compatible with a concerted substitution mechanism, wherein the enzyme forms a ternary complex with Mg(2+)-ATP and GSH to phosphorylate GSH and then ligates the glutathionyl residue to glutathionylspermidine. Limiting K(m) values for GSH, Mg(2+)-ATP, and glutathionylspermidine were 407, 222, and 480 microm, respectively, and the k(cat) was 8.7 s(-1) for the TryS reaction. Mutating Arg-553 or Arg-613 to Lys, Leu, Gln, or Glu resulted in marked reduction or abrogation (R553E) of activity. Limited proteolysis with factor Xa or trypsin resulted in cleavage at Arg-556 that was accompanied by loss of activity. The presence of substrates, in particular of ATP and GSH alone or in combination, delayed proteolysis of wild-type Cf-TryS and Cf-TryS R553Q but not in Cf-TryS R613Q, which suggests dynamic interactions of remote domains in substrate binding and catalysis.

Dynamics of virtual-cathode formation in a viscous-friction medium

It is well known that the spatial charge of an electron beam that ensures a sufficiently high current and that is injected into an equipotential cavity forms a potential barrier within the cavity that prevents further electron injection. In this case, some of the electrons are reflected by the potential barrier backward to the point of their injection, and the turning point, which can be characterized by the infinite electron concentration in the hydrodynamic limit, is called a virtual cathode (VC). In recent years, electron devices with a VC have been commonly used in vacuum high-current electronics. On this basis, high-power microwave and x-ray sources, collective ion accelerators, high-current switches, and high-vacuum meters were proposed. The current status of the physics and technology of VCbased devices was reviewed in [1, 2].

Variation of surface characteristics of silica-coated calcium carbonate

Three pairs of samples synthesized at ascending temperatures are investigated here, each including silica-coated calcium carbonate and its reference blank at a specific temperature. XRD results show that coated silicon dioxide is amorphous. The percentage of surface coated by silicon dioxide is proportional to the synthesizing temperature examined by XPS. Considering the possible application as an acetic proof composite material dispersed in polymer matrix for reinforcement and corrosion resistance, the London component of the surface energy, γ S D, which to some extent is valuable in evaluating the particle–matrix interface, is intensively investigated by an inverse gas chromatography (IGC) at infinite concentrations. A preliminary explanation is given to account for the variation of γ S D values with the column temperature.

A Fluorescent Probe-labeled Escherichia coli Aspartate Transcarbamoylase That Monitors the Allosteric Conformational State

A new system has been developed capable of monitoring conformational changes of the 240s loop of aspartate transcarbamoylase, which are tightly correlated with the quaternary structural transition, with high sensitivity in solution. Pyrene, a fluorescent probe, was conjugated to residue 241 in the 240s loop of aspartate transcarbamoylase to monitor changes in conformation by fluorescence spectroscopy. Pyrene maleimide was conjugated to a cysteine residue on the 240s loop of a previously constructed double catalytic chain mutant version of the enzyme, C47A/A241C. The pyrene-labeled enzyme undergoes the normal T to R structural transition, as demonstrated by small-angle x-ray scattering. Like the wild-type enzyme, the pyrene-labeled enzyme exhibits cooperativity toward aspartate, and is activated by ATP and inhibited by CTP at subsaturating concentrations of aspartate. The binding of the bisubstrate analogue N-(phosphonoacetyl)-l-aspartate (PALA), or the aspartate analogue succinate, in the presence of saturating carbamoyl phosphate, to the pyrenelabeled enzyme caused a sigmoidal change in the fluorescence emission. Saturation with ATP and CTP (in the presence of either subsaturating amounts of PALA or succinate and carbamoyl phosphate) caused a hyperbolic increase and decrease, respectively, in the fluorescence emission. The half-saturation values from the fluorescence saturation curves and kinetic saturation curves were, within error, identical. Fluorescence and small-angle x-ray scattering stopped-flow experiments, using aspartate and carbamoyl phosphate, confirm that the change in excimer fluorescence and the quaternary structure change correlate. These results in conjunction with previous studies suggest that the allosteric transition involves both global and local conformational changes and that the heterotropic effect of the nucleotides may be exerted through local conformational changes in the active site by directly influencing the conformation of the 240s loop.

Fluorescence of the Complexes of 2-Methylnaphthoate and 2-Hydroxypropyl-α-, -β-, and -γ-Cyclodextrins in Aqueous Solution

Fluorescence techniques were employed to study the inclusion complexes of 2-methylnaphthoate (MN) with 2-hydroxypropyl-α-cyclodextrin (αHPCD), 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (βHPCD), and 2-hydroxypropyl-γ-cyclodextrin (γHPCD). Emission spectra of MN show two vibronic bands whose intensity ratio R is very sensitive to the polarity of the medium. The stoichiometry and formation constants of these complexes were investigated by obtaining R as a function of the cyclodextrin (CD) concentration. Results showed identical stoichiometry (1/1) for the three MN/αHPCD, MN/β-HPCD, and MN/γHPCD complexes. Formation constants at 25 °C were 780 ± 15, 2700 ± 130, and 165 ± 10 M−1, respectively. ΔH0 and ΔS0 were obtained from linear van't Hoff plots. Results reveal that the complexation of MN with αHPCD is enthalpy driven. With βHPCD, both the entropy and enthalpy terms favor the process, whereas the formation of the complex with γHPCD is entropically governed. The extrapolation of R at infinite CD concentration allows us to estimate the effective dielectric constants of the inner CD cavities, which are around 50, but which differ from their counterparts, the naturally occurring α-, β-, and γ-CDs. Fluorescence anisotropy, quencher lifetimes, and average lifetimes can also give additional information about the structure and driving forces accompanying the formation of such complexes.

1H NMR determination of base-pair lifetimes in oligonucleotides containing single base mismatches.

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is employed to characterize the kinetics of base-pair opening in a series of 9mer duplexes containing different single base mismatches. The imino protons from the different mismatched, as well as fully matched, duplexes are assigned from the imino-imino region in the WATERGATE NOESY spectra. The exchange kinetics of the imino protons are measured from selective longitudinal relaxation times. In the limit of infinite exchange catalyst concentration, the exchange times of the mismatch imino protons extrapolate to much shorter lifetimes than are commonly observed for an isolated GC base pair. Different mismatches exhibit different orders of base-pair lifetimes, e.g. a TT mismatch has a shorter base-pair lifetime than a GG mismatch. The effect of the mismatch was observed up to a distance of two neighboring base pairs. This indicates that disruption in the duplex caused by the mismatch is quite localized. The overall order of base-pair lifetimes in the selected sequence context of the base pair is GC > GG > AA > CC > AT > TT. Interestingly, the fully matched AT base pair has a shorter base-pair lifetime relative to many of the mismatches. Thus, in any given base pair, the exchange lifetime can exhibit a strong dependence on sequence context. These findings may be relevant to the way mismatch recognition is accomplished by proteins and small molecules.

Differential response of fast and slow myosin ATPase from skeletal muscle to F-actin and to phalloidin F-actin

Fast muscle myosin responds in similar way to F-actin and to phalloidin F-actin. It is activated 7.5 fold at infinite F-actin concentration and 6.8 fold at infinite phalloidin F-actin. The actomyosin dissociation constants are 0.89±0.34 μM with F-actin and 0.90±0.71 μM with phalloidin F-actin. Slow muscle myosin responds differently to F-actin and to phalloidin F-actin. It is activated 3.76 fold at infinite F-actin concentration and only 2.27 fold at infinite phalloidin F-actin concentration. The actomyosin dissociation constants are 1.95±1.27 μM with F-actin and 0.27±0.16 μM with phalloidin F-actin. At first glance this means that substitution of F-actin with phalloidin F-actin magnifies the difference between fast muscle and slow muscle myosins. Furthermore the change of the dissociation constants may affect the contractile force of the attached crossbridge.

Sieving matrices in capillary electrophoresis: inflection slope and double reciprocal plot.

We propose the use of a double reciprocal plot of the inflection slope and the concentration of a sieving polymer to compare sieving properties of polymers regardless of their concentration and to permit selection of appropriate sieving materials. Using this plot, the lines extrapolating the experimental values intersect the ordinate at the value corresponding to the inflection slope at the infinite concentration of the sieving polymer and the abscissa at the value characteristic for the given polymer. The latter corresponds to the polymer concentration at which the inflection slope equals half the inflection slope at an infinite polymer concentration. It is inversely proportional to intrinsic viscosity and this makes intrinsic viscosity an important physicochemical constant suitable for selection of new potent sieving polymers.

Studies on the Mechanism of the Excitation Step in Peroxyoxalate Chemiluminescence

Studies on the mechanism of excited state formation in the peroxyoxalate system have been performed, to corroborate the involvement of the well-known Chemically Initiated Electron Exchange Luminescence (CIEEL) mechanism in the chemi-excitation step of this complex sequence. The singlet quantum yields, extrapolated to infinite activator concentrations (ΦS∞), and relative rate constants (kCAT/kD) of the excitation step have been determined in the presence of several activators for two systems: (i) the complete peroxyoxalate reaction with bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate; and (ii) the base-catalyzed reaction of 4-chlorophenyl O,O-hydrogen monoperoxyoxalate, an isolated key intermediate. For five activators commonly used in CIEEL studies (anthracene, 9,10-diphenylanthracene, 2,5-diphenyloxazole, perylene, and rubrene), a linear correlation of ln(kCAT/kD) with the voltammetric half-peak oxidation potential (Ep/2) of the activator was obtained for both systems. The values obtained with 9,10-dicyanoanthracene and 9,10-dimethoxyanthracene did not fit this correlation. A reasonable linear correlation between ln(ΦS∞) and Ep/2 was obtained for all activators. For the commonly used activators, this quantum yield (ΦS∞) dependence can be rationalized in terms of the free energy balance of the back electron transfer leading to the formation of the excited state of the activator. However, the ΦS∞ values obtained with 9,10-dimethoxyanthracene and 9,10-dicyanoanthracene cannot be explained on the basis of these considerations alone. Thus, although this work presents clear-cut evidence of the operation of the CIEEL mechanism in the peroxyoxalate reaction, the results obtained with less commonly used activators show that several mechanistic details of the CIEEL hypothesis remain to be elucidated.

Understanding Enzyme Inhibition

While enzyme inhibition is a widely taught subject across chemical and biochemical disciplines, it remains poorly understood. A mental image is presented to facilitate the understanding of inhibition types other than competitive. Subsequently, enzyme inhibition is developed using Vmax/Km in place of Km. Interpretation of direct (initial velocity vs substrate concentration) plots makes clear the meanings of competitive, noncompetitive, and mixed inhibition in a manner entirely distinct from current textbook treatments. The effects of inhibitors on enzymes can be seen to be reduced to a simple consideration of actions at zero and infinite substrate concentrations, corresponding to Vmax/Km and Vmax, respectively.

Toxicity of DNA-incorporated iodine-125: quantifying the direct and indirect effects.

To understand the biophysical mechanism(s) underlying the induction of cell death by the decay of the Auger electron emitter iodine-125 in DNA, Chinese hamster V79 lung fibroblasts were labeled with 5-[(125)I]iodo-2'-deoxyuridine ((125)IdU) for two doubling times and frozen and stored at -135 degrees C in the presence of 0.26-3.0 M dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which acts simultaneously as a cryoprotector and a hydroxyl radical scavenger. After the accumulation of (125)I decays, the cells were defrosted and their survival was determined. Within the range of the number of decays examined (up to 470 disintegrations per cell), the survival curves are exponential. The dependence of the D(37) on DMSO concentration is triphasic and seems to reach a plateau at approximately 1.3 M. By extrapolating to infinite DMSO concentration, we estimate the D(37) for maximal hydroxyl radical scavenging to be 411 +/- 36 disintegrations per cell. To determine the D(37) in the absence of DMSO, we extrapolate the D(37) curve to zero concentration, and a D(37) of 54 +/- 5 disintegrations per cell is obtained. The maximal dose modification factor, calculated as the ratio of the D(37) at infinite DMSO concentration (i.e. direct effects only) to the D(37) at zero DMSO concentration (i.e. direct and indirect effects), is 7.6 +/- 1.0. By inference, approximately 90% of the radiotoxic effects of DNA-incorporated (125)I are due to indirect mechanisms.

Inhibition Selectivity of Grapefruit Juice Components on Human Cytochromes P450

Five compounds including furanocoumarin monomers (bergamottin, 6′,7′-dihydroxybergamottin (DHB)), furanocoumarin dimers (4-[[6-hydroxy-7[[1-[(1-hydroxy-1-methyl)ethyl]-4-methyl-6-(7-oxo-7H-furo[3,2-g][1]benzopyran-4-yl)-4-hexenyl]oxy]-3,7-dimethyl- 2-octenyl]oxy]-7H-furo[3,2-g][1]benzopyran-7-one (GF-I-1) and 4-[[6-hydroxy-7[[4-methyl-1-(1-methylethenyl)-6-(7-oxo-7H-furo[3,2-g][1]benzopyran-4-yl)-4-hexenyl]oxy]-3,7-dimethyl-2-octenyl]oxy]-7H-furo[3,2-g][1]benzopyran-7-one (GF-I-4)), and a sesquiterpene nootkatone have been isolated from grapefruit juice and screened for their inhibitory effects toward human cytochrome P450 (P450) forms using selective substrate probes. Addition of ethyl acetate extract of grapefruit juice into an incubation mixture resulted in decreased activities of CYP3A4, CYP1A2, CYP2C9, and CYP2D6. All four furanocoumarins clearly inhibited CYP3A4-catalyzed nifedipine oxidation in concentration- and time-dependent manners, suggesting that these compounds are mechanism-based inhibitors of CYP3A4. Of the furanocoumarins investigated, furanocoumarin dimers, GF-I-1 and GF-I-4, were the most potent inhibitors of CYP3A4. Inhibitor concentration required for half-maximal rate of inactivation (KI) values for bergamottin, DHB, GF-I-1, and GF-I-4 were calculated, respectively, as 40.00, 5.56, 0.31, and 0.13 μM, whereas similar values were observed on their inactivation rate constant at infinite concentration of inhibitor (kinact, 0.05–0.08 min−1). Apparent selectivity toward CYP3A4 does occur with the furanocoumarin dimers. In contrast, bergamottin showed rather stronger inhibitory effect on CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP2D6 than on CYP3A4. DHB inhibited CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 activities at nearly equivalent potencies. Among P450 forms investigated, CYP2E1 was the least sensitive to the inhibitory effect of furanocoumarin components. A sesquiterpene nootkatone has no significant effect on P450 activities investigated except for CYP2A6 and CYP2C19 (Ki = 0.8 and 0.5 μM, respectively).

Molecular orientation of monododecyl pentaethylene glycol (C12E5) surfactants at infinite dilution at the air/water interface. A molecular dynamics computer simulation study

In this publication we used a molecular dynamics computer simulation in order to get more detailed insights into the adsorption process of monododecyl pentaethylene glycol (C12E5) surfactants. We investigated the surface between water and air at infinite small surfactant concentrations. Measured in respect to the surface normal vector the average tilt angle of the C12 chain was found to be of the order of 67.4°±18.3°. For the polar pentaethylene glycol chains we observed tilt angles of 78.0°±8.5°. These results indicate that the molecules are lying nearly flat on the water surface. This observation is in fairly good agreement with neutron reflection experiments of C12E3 and also with a previously performed simulation of sodium dodecylsulfate. Additionally, it turned out that the conformations of C12E5 surfactant molecules adsorbed at the air/water interface are similar to the molecular arrangements of C12E5 in the vacuum phase. This holds, at least, for the regime of infinitely small surfactant concentrations.