Various ethyl 1-arylcarbonyl-3-[(un)substituted methylthio]thieno[3,4-b]indolizine-9-carboxylates were synthesized in good yields by a novel methodology in which the S-alkylation of 5-arylcarbonyl-4-ethoxycarbonylmethyl-3-(1-pyridinio)thiophene-2-thiolates with alkyl or benzyl halides, the 1,5-dipolar cyclization of the resulting pyridinium salts in the presence of a base, and the aromatization...

A simple method for the analysis of nereistoxin and its metabolites in human serum using headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is developed. A vial containing a serum sample, 5M sodium hydroxide, and benzylacetone (internal standard) is heated to 70 degrees C, and an SPME fiber is exposed for 30 min in the headspace of the vial. The compou...

6-Methylthiopurine ribonucleoside was found to inhibit nucleotide formation from hypoxanthine and aminoimidazole carboxamide in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in vitro and to inhibit inosinate dehydrogenase activity in intact cells. These effects are produced at higher drug concentrations than required to inhibit purine biosynthesis de novo. 4-Methylthio-7-|8-D-ribofuranosyl pyrrolo[2,3-i/]pyrimid...

ATP increases intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) in supraoptic nucleus (SON) neurons in hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system explants loaded with the Ca(2+)-sensitive dye, fura 2-AM. Involvement of P2X purinergic receptors (P2XR) in this response was anticipated, because ATP stimulation of vasopressin release from hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system explants required activation of...

Salvadenosine, (1) a rare 5'-deoxy-5'-(methylthio) nucleoside, was isolated from the deep-water Bahaman tunicate Didemnum sp. The structure was solved by integrated analysis of MS and 1D and 2D NMR data. We revise the structure of the known natural product, hamiguanosinol, which is a constitutional isomer of 1, to 5 by interpretation of the spectroscopic data and comparison with synthesized nuc...