Synthesis and Physicochemical Characterization of the Process-Related Impurities of Olmesartan Medoxomil. Do 5-(Biphenyl-2-yl)-1-triphenylmethyltetrazole Intermediates in Sartan Syntheses Exist?

During the process development for multigram-scale synthesis of olmesartan medoxomil (OM), two principal regioisomeric process-related impurities were observed along with the final active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). The impurities were identified as N-1- and N-2-(5-methyl-2-oxo-1,3-dioxolen-4-yl)methyl derivatives of OM. Both compounds, of which N-2 isomer of olmesartan dimedoxomil is a novel impurity of OM, were synthesized and fully characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and high-resolution mass spectrometry/electrospray ionization (HRMS/ESI). Their 1H, 13C and 15N nuclear magnetic resonance signals were fully assigned. The molecular structures of N-triphenylmethylolmesartan ethyl (N-tritylolmesartan ethyl) and N-tritylolmesartan medoxomil, the key intermediates in OM synthesis, were solved and refined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD). The SCXRD study revealed that N-tritylated intermediates of OM exist exclusively as one of the two possible regioisomers. In molecular structures of these regioisomers, the trityl substituent is attached to the N-2 nitrogen atom of the tetrazole ring, and not to the N-1 nitrogen, as has been widely reported up to the present. This finding indicates that the reported structural formula of N-tritylolmesartan ethyl and N-tritylolmesartan medoxomil, as well as their systematic chemical names, must be revised. The careful analysis of literature spectroscopic data for other sartan intermediates and their analogs with 5-(biphenyl-2-yl)tetrazole moiety showed that they also exist exclusively as N-2-trityl regioisomers

Diminazene Aceturate Stabilizes Atherosclerotic Plaque and Attenuates Hepatic Steatosis in apoE-Knockout Mice by Influencing Macrophages Polarization and Taurine Biosynthesis

Atherosclerosis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the Western countries. The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) with its two main opposing effectors, i.e., angiotensin II (Ang II) and Ang-(1–7), is widely recognized as a major regulator of cardiovascular function and body metabolic processes. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) by breaking-down Ang II forms Ang-(1–7) and thus favors Ang-(1–7) actions. Therefore, the aim of our study was to comprehensively evaluate the influence of prolonged treatment with ACE2 activator, diminazene aceturate (DIZE) on the development of atherosclerotic lesions and hepatic steatosis in apoE(−/−) mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). We have shown that DIZE stabilized atherosclerotic lesions and attenuated hepatic steatosis in apoE(−/−) mice fed an HFD. Such effects were associated with decreased total macrophages content and increased α-smooth muscle actin levels in atherosclerotic plaques. Moreover, DIZE changed polarization of macrophages towards increased amount of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages in the atherosclerotic lesions. Interestingly, the anti-steatotic action of DIZE in the liver was related to the elevated levels of HDL in the plasma, decreased levels of triglycerides, and increased biosynthesis and concentration of taurine in the liver of apoE(−/−) mice. However, exact molecular mechanisms of both anti-atherosclerotic and anti-steatotic actions of DIZE require further investigations