Ana Zatón

Horseradish peroxidase inhibition by thiouracils

In this paper, the activity of horseradish peroxidase was further determined in the presence of several uracil derivatives. The rate of guaiacol peroxidation decreases in presence of 2‐thiouracil and of 6‐n‐propyl‐2‐thiouracil, but is not changed by 6‐n‐propyluracil nor uracil. Thus, thiouracils inhibit horseradish peroxidase in a noncompetitive form. The binding of 6‐n‐propyl‐2‐thiouracil, 2‐thiouracil, 6‐n‐propyluracil and uracil with horseradish peroxidase shows difference spectra due to changes in the environment of heme group in peroxidase. Then, the binding sites for these uracil derivatives are in an hydrophobic pocket at the heme periphery of peroxidase. The lesser binding rates were for uracil and propyluracil, which did not inhibit the peroxidase activity. These results point to the thiol group in uracils as responsible for the inhibition of peroxidase activity through interaction with an allosteric binding site, in peroxidase heme environment.

Study of heterocycle rings binding to human serum albumin

The binding of drugs to human serum albumin determines the drug distribution through the systemic circulation and its pharmacological effects on the organism. Then, with the aim of obtaining information concerning the drug structural features which favour their binding on seroalbumin we have studied the seroalbumin binding to the heterocyclic drugs such as warfarin, propylthiouracil and cromoglycate and to similar compounds such as 4-hydroxy-coumarin, 3-acetylcoumarin, coumarin, benzylthiouracil, propyluracil, thiouracil, chromone and chromanol. These compounds were competitively displaced by warfarin at their primary binding sites on seroalbumin. The comparative analysis of the binding data showed that heterocyclic compounds such as benzopyranes (coumarins and chromanol) and benzyl pyrimidines with 4-hydroxyl groups bind specifically in the warfarin binding site. Then, 4-hydroxyl-bencene heterocycles will displace other ligands from the subdomain IIA of the seroalbumin molecule. Therefore, we can predict that the administration concomitant of warfarin, cromoglycate, propylthiouracil and analogous heterocyclic drugs involves the displacement of the drug without 4-hydroxyl and benzyl groups, increasing their free fraction in serum and the amount of active drug.

The binding of thioureylene compounds to human serum albumin

The binding interactions of some thioureylene compounds to human serum albumin were studied in vitro by ultraviolet spectroscopy and equilibrium dialysis. Binding of 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil, 6-n-benzyl-2-thiouracil and 2-thiouracil to human serum albumin results in a red shift of the ultraviolet absorption maximum, suggesting that the binding site is a hydrophobic area of the protein. Bindings of 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil and 6-n-benzyl-2-thiouracil to human serum albumin are characterized by two classes of sites while 6-n-propyl-uracil and 2-thiouracil bind to one low-affinity binding site. In addition, an identification of those sites was performed by measuring the displacement of these drugs. The data show that the moderate-affinity site is common with the warfarin site while the low-affinity site is likely to be shared by benzodiazepines. It is concluded that the binding is enhanced by the hydrophobicity of the substituent in the thioureylene compounds, and it is further shown that thiol-group substitutions in the thioureylene ring will weaken the binding.

Data plotting of warfarin binding to human serum albumin.

The binding of warfarin to human serum albumin was studied by equilibrium dialysis at pH 7.4 in a 67 mM sodium phosphate buffer at 37 degrees C. The equilibrium data were analysed using a computer program for curve fitting. The analysis was made fitting the data to equations for one, two and three classes of binding sites with one, two and three sites at the primary binding site (n(1)=1, 2 or 3). The data fitting was acceptable for two and three classes of binding sites but the best fit was obtained with the equation for two classes of binding sites, allowing us to define the binding by a model with two independent classes of binding sites on the serum albumin molecule.

Usefulness of difference spectroscopy in the study of the binding of uracil derivatives to human serum albumin

Propylthiouracil is an antithyroid drug which is carried by the blood, thanks to its binding with human seroalbumin (HSA), and induces a structural alteration in HSA that changes the binding capability of other ligands. Then, with the aim of fixing the functional group in propylthiouracil involved in the interactions with HSA, the binding parameters for several uracil derivatives bound on HSA have been estimated. Interaction of propyluracil, thiouracil and propylthiouracil with HSA leads to the formation of complexes that show spectral shifts. These spectral shifts are a measure of the fraction of chromophoric groups, which is perturbed in the interaction with HSA, and thus can be used in the ligand binding estimate. The difference spectroscopy results correspond to the binding on a single centre in HSA. The difference spectra of propyluracils in seroalbumin coincide with those of propyluracils in a perturbant solvent (ethanol). On the other hand, propylthiouracil and propyluracil bind to seroalbumin on a larger scale than uracil and thiouracil. Thus, we can conclude that this binding is strengthened by hydrophobic interactions between the propyl group in propyluracils and apolar substituents on HSA.

The binding of benzopyranes to human serum albumin. A structure-affinity study.

The binding of several benzopyranes to serum albumin was studied by equilibrium dialysis at pH7.4 in a 67mM sodium phosphate buffer at 37°C. The equilibrium data were analyzed using a computer program for curve fitting. The binding isotherm for warfarin, 4-hydroxycoumarin, 4-chromanol, coumarin, 3-acetylcoumarin, and benzoic acid can be described by two stoichiometric dissociation constants. Elimination of the 4-hydroxyl group in the coumarin chemical structures decreases the binding affinity of the compounds on the primary binding site of serum albumin, with 4-chromanol the smallest ligand which binds to seroalbumin with high affinity. Thus, the affinity of 4-benzopyranol and the 4-hydroxybenzopyranones greater than that of benzopyranones. On the other hand, elimination of the 2-oxo group in the benzopyranone chemical structures decreases affinity for the secondary binding site.

Study of Binding of Benzyl-Thiouracil to Human Serum Albumin by Gel Filtration Chromatography

Abstract The binding of benzyl-thiouracil to human serum albumin was studied at 37°C and pH 7.4 by Sephadex filtration chromatography based upon Hummel and Dreyers method. As the benzyl-thiouracil (ligand) was adsorbed on to the gel matrix, the free ligand concentrations had to be corrected through the ligand distribution between the stationary and mobile phases. A good agreement was found between binding parameters—calculated by this method and by the classical method (equilibrium dialysis). Binding is characterized by one binding site with a moderate association constant (K1 = 5.7 × 104 M-1) and two binding sites with a low association constant (K2 = 7.8 × 103 M-1).

Effect of the Antiallergic Drug Disodium Cromoglycate and Various Derivatives On Alkaline Phosphatase

Disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) inhibits alkaline phosphatase in a non-competitive manner, the enzyme undergoing a conformational change which is attenuated by the presence of calcium ions. The structurally related pyranone and benzoic acid are weak inhibitors of the enzyme and produce a similar conformational change. Coumarin does not induce any conformational change in the enzyme suggesting that the 4-oxo group in DSCG may be essential for its effect.

Conformational changes of peroxidase and albumin in solutions of propylthiouracil

Conformational changes of peroxidase and albumin in buffered solutions of propylthiouracil, an antithyroid drug, were evaluated by dialtometry and viscometry, showing that the structural alteration of peroxidase is related to the decoupling of the reactions which it catalyses. Thus, propylthiouracil probably inactivates the peroxidase by altering its structure. Equilibrium dialysis showed that albumin is the principle propylthiouracil-transporting protein in human serum. Propylthiouracil induces a conformational change in albumin when 1 mole of drug per mole of protein is bound, a structural alteration that can change the binding capability of other ligands.

Interaction of propylthiouracil and its precursors with horseradish peroxidase

Interactions of horseradish peroxidase with propylthiouracil, thiouracil, propyluracil and uracil lead to the formation of complexes that exhibit different absorption spectra which can be attributed to the perturbation of peroxidase as the result of the drug-binding on a polar site in the protein. In this paper, by dilatometry and viscometry structural alterations in horseradish peroxidase were detected from its interaction with propylthiouracil and thiouracil only, and the physiological inhibition of peroxidase for these antithyroid drugs seems to be through structural alterations in the protein.