SummaryLipopolysaccharide (LPS) and inflammatory cytokines cause activation of sphingomyelinases (SMases) and subsequent hydrolysis of sphingomyelin (SM) to produce a lipid messenger ceramide. The design of SMase inhibitors may offer new therapies for the treatment of LPS-and cytokine-related inflammatory bowel disease. We synthesized a series of difluoromethylene analogues of SM (SMAs). We report here the effects of the most potent SMase inhibitor, SMA-7, on the LPS-mediated release of tumour necrosis factor-a, interleukin-1b and interleukin-6 from THP-1 macrophages and the pathology of dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. SMA-7 suppressed the LPS-induced cytokine release and nuclear factorjB activation. LPS stimulation caused a four-fold increase in acid SMase activation, but little increase in neutral SMase activity. The presence of 10 lM SMA-7 caused acid SMase to remain at the control levels and reduced the formation of ceramide. HT-29 cells had significantly decreased cell viability when incubated with media from LPS-stimulated THP-1 macrophages. However, incubating the colon cells in media from both SMA-7 and LPStreated macrophages caused little decrease in viability, suggesting that ceramide has a role in the LPS-stimulated signalling that releases cytotoxic factors against colon cells. Oral administration of SMA-7 to mice with 2% DSS in the drinking water, for 10 or 21 consecutive days, reduced significantly the cytokine levels in the colon and the severity of colonic injury. These findings suggest a central role for acid SMase/ceramide signalling in the pathology of DSS-induced colitis in mice, indicating a possible preventive or therapeutic role for SMase inhibitor in inflammatory bowel disease.

Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle-supported Cu(II)-β-cyclodextrin complex as a magnetically recoverable and reusable catalyst for the synthesis of symmetrical biaryls and 1,2,3-triazoles from aryl boronic acids † Babak Kaboudin,* a Ramin Mostafalu a and Tsutomu Yokomatsu bWe report here on the preparation of an efficient, easily recoverable and reusable Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticle-supported Cu(II)-β-cyclodextrin complex catalyst for the synthesis of symmetrical biaryls and 1,2,3triazoles from arylboronic acids. The presented Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticle-supported Cu(II)-β-cyclodextrin complex catalyst was characterized by TEM, XRD, VSM, TGA, and FT-IR spectrometer. By using the catalyst, we have developed an efficient protocol for the homocoupling of aryl boronic acids for the synthesis of biaryls. The catalyst is also active in the synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles via a one-pot reaction of an arylboronic acid with sodium azide in water followed by a click cyclization reaction with an alkyne at room temperature in air without any additives. The reusability of the prepared nanocatalyst was successfully examined four times with only a very slight loss of catalytic activity. † Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Details of the analytical data of the products of the homocoupling and 1,2,3-triazoles. See

We report here the transition-metal-catalyzed chemoselective cross-coupling of arylbroronic acids in high yields without using ligand or base. We have developed an efficient copper-catalyzed protocol for the homocoupling and crosscoupling of arylboronic acids. The protocol is also suitable for the cross-coupling of aliphatic primary amines with aryl-

We report here the one-pot synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles of arylboronic acids in water. An efficient method has been developed for the synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles via a one-pot reaction of an arylboronic acid with sodium azide in the presence of Cu(2)-β-CD (CD = Cyclodextrin) as a nanocatalyst in water followed by a click cyclization reaction with an alkyne at room temperature in air without any additives. This method is simple, rapid, and high yielding.

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