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Biomedical subjects

G Bietti

Publications and source records attributed to G Bietti.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Substituent effect on the stereochemistry of H2-receptor antagonists of the phenylformamidine series. A conformation-dependent mode of interaction with the H2 receptor.

The influence of alkyl substitution on the stereoisomerism of the formamidine cation (E,E vs E,Z) of several N-substituted (imidazolylphenyl)formamidines (1-10) was investigated. As (imidazolylphenyl)formamidines having alkyl substituents of more than three carbon atoms bind to H2-receptor preparations in a pseudoirreversible mode causing unsurmountable antagonism, the four isomeric butylformamidines (5-7 and 9) having comparable lipophilic character but different E,E/E,Z composition were investigated in H2-receptor assays to determine quantitatively any difference in their pseudoirreversible inhibitory pattern. It was found that the geometry of the formamidine cation is affected by the steric bulk of the substituent on the formamidine nitrogen. A relationship between the percentage of the E,E conformation of the formamidine cation and degree of pseudoirreversible antagonism was also found. The present studies support the hypothesis that bidentate hydrogen bonding plays an important role in the interaction of (imidazolylphenyl)formamidines with the H2 receptor.

Amidines

Irreversible H2-antagonism of the four isomeric butyl analogues of mifentidine.

It has been hypothesized that bidentate hydrogen bonding plays an important role in the interaction of imidazolylphenylformamidines with the H2-receptor. The present study, in which the degree of pseudo-irreversible H2-antagonism of the four isomeric butyl substituted mifentidine analogues was determined on the spontaneously beating right atrium of the male guinea-pig, lends further support to this hypothesis. In solution the EE/EZ ratio is different for the four isomeric butylated mifentidine analogues. The rank order of the percentage of E,E conformation, which favors a bidentate interaction, of the formamidine moiety parallels the rank order of pseudo-irreversible H2-antagonism.

Animals

Conformational studies of two histamine H2-receptor antagonistic phenylformamidines: mifentidine and its guanidinothiazole analogue DA 4643.

Two histamine H2-receptor antagonists of the phenylformamidine type, mifentidine (N-isopropyl-N'-(4-1H-imidazol-4-yl-phenyl) formamidine dihydrochloride; I) and DA 4643 (N-methyl-N'-(3-(2-guanidinothiazol-4-yl)-phenyl) formamidine dihydrochloride; II), have been investigated by experimental physico-chemical studies and theoretical conformational analysis. PKa determinations on the two molecules I and II show that these substances exist at physiological pH (7.4) predominantly as their monoprotonated forms at the formamidine moiety. Semiempirical quantum mechanical (MNDO, CNDO/2) and molecular mechanics (MMPI) calculations show a preference of the nearly planar conformations for I and of different low energy rotamers for II. The energy of these conformers is a function of two important torsion angles, one around the bond joining the imidazole, or the guanidinothiazole, and the phenyl ring and the other around the bond joining the phenyl ring and the formamidinium cation. When the distances between crucial parts present in I and II are considered, it results that the relatively higher flexibility of II allows accommodation of amidine pairs present in the latter at a distance similar to that found for correspondent pairs in the conformationally more restricted I. Conformational aspects of I and II are discussed with reference to a recently described conformation of cimetidine determined by X-ray method. A hypothesis of binding of H2-receptor antagonists of the phenylformamidine type is advanced with reference to electrostatic potential maps calculated for crucial part structures of I, II and cimetidine. The present work supports the hypothesis that both mifentidine and DA 4643 interact with the histamine H2-receptor at the same site, utilizing in the binding process the same, or closely similar, receptor structural features.

Chemical Phenomena

Possibility of isoproterenol therapy with soft contact lenses: ocular hypotension without systemic effects.

An experimental investigation performed in the rabbit pointed out the possibility of administering isoproterenol at low concentrations with the aid of soft contact lenses presoaked in 0.2% isoproterenol for 60 to 120 minutes. A reduction in intraocular pressure ranging from 23% to 32% was observed in 21 out of 24 glaucomatous patients. Duration of hypotension in 50% of eyes treated was more than 8 hours. Thus, a therapeutic effect was obtained with a concentration (0.2%) approximately 50 times lower than that previously employed clinically (2.4%). No systemic side effects, such as arterial hypotension and increase in heart rate, were noted.

Animals

Acetazolamide, metabolic acidosis, and intraocular pressure.

In order to investigate whether or not there is a causal relationship between the metabolic acidosis and the ocular hypotension induced by acetazolamide, we undertook to correlate over a period of time the blood-acidifying and ocular-hypotonizing effects of administering the lowest intravenous effective dose of acetazolamide; to treat the metabolic acidosis induced by acetazolamide by means of the intravenous introduction of bases, and pulmonary hyperventilation (respiratory alkalosis); to evaluate the effects on the intraocular pressure (IOP) by neutralizing the acetazolamide-induced metabolic acidosis by means of a continuous infusion of sodium bicarbonate; to determine the relationship between the metabolic acidosis induced by blood-acidifying agents, which do not inhibit carbonic anhydrase, and the IOP; and to determine the changes in the acid-base status of the aqueous humor induced by acetazolamide and other blood-acidifying drugs. We found that the hypertonic buffering solution of sodium bicarbonate could reduce the IOP by itself through an osmotic mechanism. On the basis of our results, we believe that a causal relationship exists between the metabolic acidosis induced by acetazolamide, and by other drugs that have a blood-acidifying effect as the result of other mechanisms, and ocular hypotension, bothin the animal and in the glaucomatous patient.

Acetazolamide