Inhibition of H2O2 generation in rat liver mitochondria by radical quenchers and phenolic compounds

Generation of H2O2 by rat liver mitochondria with choline, glycerol 1-phosphate and proline as substrates has been shown by using high-concentration phosphate buffer. Rates obtained under these conditions were higher and more consistent as compared with the earlier reports with high-concentration mannitol/sucrose/Tris buffer. Sulphate ions could replace phosphate indicating a requirement for a high concentration of oxygen-containing anions. H2O2 generation was dependent on the presence of native mitochondria and substrate. Maximal rates with various substrates were found to be the same as with succinate. Values of Km and Vmax for H2O2 generation were considerably less than those obtained for respective dehydrogenase activities, measured by dye reduction. Scavengers of O2-. and OH. inhibited generation of H2O2. ATP, ADP, thyronine derivatives and a number of phenolic compounds also showed very potent inhibitory effects of H2O2 generation, whereas phenyl compound had no effect. Phenolic compounds did not have any effect on mitochondrial superoxide dismutase and choline dehydrogenase activities as well as on O2-. generation by the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system. Inhibition by phenolic compounds may have potential for regulation of the intracellular concentration of H2O2, that is not considered to have a "second messenger' function.

The effect of rapid solidification on the order-disorder transformation in iron-based alloys

The effect of rapid solidification on the ordering reaction in Fe---Si and Fe---Al alloys has been reported. It is shown that rapid solidification can influence the ordering reaction in alloys with higher critical ordering temperatures. For ordering reactions at lower temperatures, the effect is similar to that of solid-state quenching. Different factors influencing the ordering reactions and domain structures during rapid solidification of iron-based alloys are discussed.

Synthesis and physico-chemical properties of diruthenium(III, II) tetra-aryl carboxylato compounds

Monochloro-tetra-μ-aryl-carboxylatodiruthenium(III, II) compounds Ru2Cl (O2CAr)4 (Ar = -C6H5; -C6H4-p-OCH3), are prepared and characterized. The compounds have magnetic moments that correspond to three unpaired spins per dimer. The Rusingle bondRu bond order is 2.5 and the ground electronic configuration is σ2π4δ2(δ*π*)3. The visible spectral band is observed at ca 450 nm along with a shoulder near 580 nm in DMF solution. The compounds undergo a one-electron Ru(III)Ru(II) → Ru(II)Ru(II) quasi-reversible reduction in DMF near 0.0 V vs sce.

Magnetic superconductors: Model theories and experimental properties of rare-earth compounds

Superconducting and magnetically long-range ordered states were believed to be mutually exclusive phenomena. The discovery of rare-earth compounds in recent years, which exhibit both superconductivity and magnetic ordering (ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic or sinusoidal), has led to considerable theoretical and experimental work on such systems. In the present article, we give a review of various theoretical models and important experimental results. In the theoretical sections, we start with the Abrikosov-Gorkov pair breaking theory for dilute alloys and discuss its improvement in the work of Müller-Hartmann and Zittartz. Then, in the context of magnetic superconductors, various microscopic theories that have been advanced are presented. These predict re-entrant behaviour in some systems (ferromagnetic superconductors) and coexistence regions in others (particularly antiferromagnetic superconductors). Following this, phenomenological generalized Ginzburg-Landau theories for two kinds of orders (superconducting and magnetic) are presented. A section dealing with renormalization group analysis of phase diagrams in magnetic superconductors is given. In experimental sections, the properties of each rare-earth compounds (ternary as well as some tetranery) are reviewed. These involve susceptibility, heat capacity, resistivity, upper critical field, neutron scattering and magnetic resonance measurements. The anomalous behaviour of the upper critical field of antiferromagnetic superconductors near the Néel temperature is discussed both in theory sections and experimental section for various systems.

Low-Temperature Fluorination Of Sulfur-Compounds With Elemental Fluorine

Low temperature fluorination technique is adopted for fluorination of the following sulphur compounds in freon-11 medium (1) Sulphur dioxide (2) Thionyl chloride (3) Sulphuryl chloride (4) Tetrasulphur tetra nitride and (5) Sulphur bromide. All the compounds undergo oxidative fluorination to give rise to sulphur-fluorine compounds except sulphuryl chloride which resists fluorination. Sulphuryl chloride thus behaves as a good solvent medium for fluorination of other reactive compounds like elemental sulphur. Details of the experimental procedures adopted and the identification of the products will be presented

Indolic compounds in the leaves of Tecoma stans

Indole, tryptophan, tryptamine and skatole were isolated from the leaves of Tecoma stans. Anthranilic acid was also identified in its free form, in contrast to its glucoside, in Jasminum grandiflorum. The presence of both indole and anthranilic acid in the leaves of Tecoma stans indicates that they are the true substrate and product of indole oxygenase from the leaves of Tecoma stans.

Indole oxygenase from the leaves of Tecoma stans

A new indole oxygenase from the leaves of Tecoma stans was isolated and purified to near homogeneity. The purified enzyme system catalyses the conversion of indole to anthranilic acid. It is optimally active at pH 5.2 and at 30°C. Oxygen (2 mol) is consumed and anthranilic acid (1 mol) is formed for every mole of indole oxidized. Neither sulfhydryl reagents nor sulfhydryl compounds inhibited the enzyme activity. The oxygenase also attacks, apart from indole, 5-hydroxyindole, 5-bromoindole and 5-methylindole. It is not inhibited by copper specific chelators or non-heme iron specific chelators. Atebrin did not inhibit the enzyme activity suggesting that it is not a flavoprotein, unlike other indole oxygenases and indole oxidases. Dialysis resulted in complete loss of enzyme activity. The inactive enzyme could not be reactivated by addition of various cofactors.

Iron(II) and iron(III) complexes of 2,4-dithiobiuret

Ferrous and ferric complexes of 2,4-dithiobiuret (Dtb) of the type Fe(Dtb)m Xn where m, n = 1-3, and X = CI–, Br–, I– and SO 4 2– , and a neutral Fe(Dtb-H)2 complex have been synthesized and characterised by elemental analyses, magnetic susceptibility, i.r., electronic and Mössbauer spectroscopic studies. From its i.r. spectrum Dtb was found to act as a S,S-coordinating bidentate chelate. The magnetic moment, electronic and Massbauer spectra are consistent with a low spin distorted octahedral structure for the ferric complexes and a high spin form for ferrous complexes.

An oxygenase from guinea-pig liver which catalyses sulphoxidation

A mono-oxygenase catalysing the conversion of 2-ethyl-4-thioisonicotinamide (ethionamide) into its sulphoxide was purified from guinea-pig liver homogenates. The enzyme required stoicheiometric amounts of oxygen and NADPH for the sulphoxidation reaction. The purified protein is homogeneous by electrophoretic, antigenic and chromatographic criteria. The enzyme has mol.wt. 85000 and it contains 1g-atom of iron and 1mol of FAD per mol, but not cytochrome P-450. The enzyme shows maximal activity at pH7.4 in a number of different buffer systems and the Km values calculated for the substrate and NADPH are 6.5×10-5m and 2.8×10-5m respectively. The activation energy of the reaction was calculated to be 36kJ/mol. Under optimal conditions, the molecular activity of the enzyme (mol of substrate oxidized/min per mol of enzyme) is calculated to be 2.1. The oxygenase belongs to the class of general drug-metabolizing enzymes and it may act on different compounds which can undergo sulphoxidation. The mechanism of sulphoxidation was shown to be mediated by superoxide anions.

Vibrational assignments of five-membered heterocyclic compounds. Normal vibrations of oxazolidine-2-one and -2-thione

Infrared spectra of oxazolidine-2-one (Oxo), -2-thione (Oxt) and their N-deuteriated derivatives have been measured over the range 4000-20 cm−1. The fundamental frequencies of these molecules have been assigned on the basis of normal coordinate calculations carried out using a Urey-Bradley potential function supplemented with valence type constants for the out-of-plane modes of the planar skeleton. The results of the vibrational analyses are discussed and correlated with the assignments available for the other related five membered heterocyclic molecules.

Structures of some unusual types of organic compounds

Structures of a variety of compounds isolated in reactions and elucidated with the help of spectral (uv,ir,nmr and mass) data, have been discussed. In a few cases, the assigned structures were confirmed by x-ray crystal structure analysis.

Iron(II, III) complexes with N, N'-DI(2-)Pyridyl Thiourea. Moumlssbauer and other spectroscopic studies

Several iron(II, III) complexes of N, N'-di(2-)pyridyl thiourea have been synthesized. The preparation of the complexes from iron(III) salts proceeds through a reduction of iron(III) to iron(II) followed by a subsequent reoxidation. The Moumlssbauer, electronic and infrared spectra of these complexes have been measured. The results are concordant with the coordination of pyridine nitrogens and thiocarbonyl sulfur yielding polymeric complexes. A variable temperature NMR study of the free ligand shows that two conformation are accessible for it in solution at subambient temperatures.

Inhibition of the biosynthesis of sterols by phenyl and phenolic compounds in rat liver

The presence of mitochondria increased the incorporation of [2-14C]mevalonate into sterols in a cell-free system from rat liver. Various phenyl and phenolic compounds inhibited the incorporation of mevalonate when added in vitro. p-Hydroxycinnamate, a metabolite of tyrosine, was the most powerful inhibitor among the compounds tested. Catechol, resorcinol and quinol were inhibitory at high concentrations. Organic acids lacking an aromatic ring were not inhibitory. Two hypocholesterolaemic drugs, Clofibrate (α-p-chlorophenoxyisobutyrate) and Clofenapate [α,4-(p-chlorophenyl)phenoxyisobutyrate], which are known to affect some step before the formation of mevalonate in the biosynthesis of cholesterol in vivo, showed inhibition at a step beyond the formation of mevalonate in vitro. The presence of the aromatic ring and the carboxyl group in a molecule appears to be necessary for the inhibition.

Magnetic Properties of Iron Particles Embedded in Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes

Iron nanoparticles are embedded in multiwall carbon nanotubes by the chemical vapor deposition, where benzene and ferrocene are taken as precursor materials. Varying quantity of iron particles are embedded in these tubes by taking different amount of ferrocene. These particles exhibit a magnetic moment up to 98 emu/g and an enhanced coercivity in the range of 500-2000 Oe. Negative magnetoresistance similar to 10% is observed in the presence of magnetic field up to 11 T applied at various temperatures in the range of 1.3 K-300 K. It is argued that the enhanced coercivity is due to the shape anisotropy. The negative magnetoresistance is believed to be due to the weak localization and spin dependent scattering of electrons by the ferromagnetic particles. In addition we also observe a dependence of the magnetoresistance on the direction of applied field and this is correlated with the shape anisotropy of the Fe particles.