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The search for specific anticancer drugs that do not interfere with DNA synthesis or influence the cytoskeleton has led to the development of modified phospholipids with antiproliferative properties. These compounds cause remodeling of the structure and function of plasma membranes. Recently, we described novel compounds, the glycosidated phospholipids, that surprisingly inhibit cell proliferation. These compounds contain alpha-D-glucose in the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and platelet-activating factor (PAF), which gives rise to 2-glucophosphatidylcholine (Glc-PC) and 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-alpha-d-glucopyranosyl-sn-2-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (Glc-PAF), respectively. Glc-PC and Glc-PAF inhibit the growth of HaCaT cells at nontoxic concentrations. Here we report the introduction of myo-inositol, in place of alpha-D-glucose, in the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone; this leads to two diastereomeric 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-(2-(myo-inositolyl)-ethyl)-sn-glycero-3-(R/S)-phosphatidylcholines (Ino-C2-PAF). The inositol-containing PAF enhances the antiproliferative capacity (IC(50)=1.8 microM) and reduces the cytotoxicity relative to Glc-PAF (LC(50)=15 microM). Through biological assays, we showed that, in HaCaT cells, Ino-C2-PAF causes upregulation of the keratinocyte-specific differentiation marker involucrin, increases the activity of the differentiation marker transglutaminase, and induces apoptosis at nontoxic concentrations. Ino-C2-PAF therefore seems to be a promising candidate for development as an antiproliferative drug for the treatment of hyperproliferative diseases of the skin.

We report here the syntheses and characterization of new crown‐type compounds 8 and 9 incorporated with one and two 4‐pyrone units. The reaction of compound 3 with 1,5‐bis(2‐hydroxyphenoxy)‐3‐oxapentane or catechol gave the desired molecules 8 and 9 in 65% and 25% yields, respectively. Compound 3 resulted from 1 by Wohl‐Ziegler bromination in small amounts and could be separated from five bromination by‐products by column chromatography. For example, 8 binds K+ and a pyrylium salt 11 (single crystal X‐ray structure analysis) can also be prepared starting from 3 by treatment of the latter with perchloric acid in the presence of acetonitrile.

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Under basic conditions 2,6‐bis(bromomethyl)‐4‐pyrone 8 reacts with tetraethylene glycol to yield the unexpected macrocycle 9, which is related to the antibiotic Kjellmanianone 10. We propose that this ring transformation proceeds via the cyclopropyl intermediate d (Scheme 2), which undergoes a ring opening reaction comparable to the Favorskii rearrangement. Also, 8 reacts with methanol/sodium methoxide to yield the 3(2H)‐furanone derivative 11, the formation of which is suggested to proceed via the intermediate k with a carbenium‐oxonium‐ion subunit (Scheme 3). The structure of the 3(2H)‐furanone derivative was confirmed by X‐ray analysis.