Nitrogenous Compounds

[nicnac]

Hi there,

I'm in the middle of doing my PhD in Analytical Chemistry and the problems associated with the use of reversed-phase HPLC when analysing basic (and to some extent acidic) compounds. I need to write a section in my thesis about why so many drugs are nitrogenous bases (I think its ~60%!) and just wanted to make sure I'd covered all angles.

If you have any suggestions they would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

[johnep]

Amino groups are common perhaps because these compds were original building blocks. After all DNA is made up of amino acids.
johnep

[Pharmanaut]

Originally Posted by johnep

Amino groups are common perhaps because these compds were original building blocks. After all DNA is made up of amino acids.
johnep

A lot of drugs mimic the natural transmitters in the body, a lot of them block receptors. Some are reversible, some irreversible. Most of this means that the compound must have nearly the right overall shape and/or charge pattern to interact with a specific receptor. This is borne out by the difference in activity between the (l) and (d) (R & S) stereoisomers. Can't think of any transmitters that don't have nitrogen in there somewhere?

Read somewhere that nitrogen in the form of nitrous oxide (?) was probably the 'primeaval transmitter'.

For a computer analogy, its like storing passwords. If the checksum of the password is stored, another word that gives the same checksum can act as a password.

Hope that helps you along a bit.

Damn, you've gone and overloaded my brain now.

[admin]

Read somewhere that nitrogen in the form of nitrous oxide (?) was probably the 'primeaval transmitter'.

I always thought nitrous oxide was endothelium derived relaxing factor. I remember having a small book on it at Uni. I found a few pages on the net about it such as: -

http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/84/24/9265

Gee I think that even woke my little brain up a bit !

[Linnear]

Originally Posted by admin

Gee I think that even woke my little brian up a bit !

Who's Brian and where are you keeping the poor bloke?

[admin]

Originally Posted by Linnear

Who's Brian and where are you keeping the poor bloke?

Told you - it wore it out !