Disulfiram's journey from rubber vulcanization to T-cell activation

Thiols are prepared using the hydrosulfide anion as a nucleophile in a nucleophilic substitution reaction with alkyl halides. For instance, bromobutane reacts with sodium hydrosulfide to give butanethiol.

Sulfation and α-amino acid conjugation are two critical biotransformation reactions in drug metabolism. Sulfation, a phase II biotransformation reaction, involves adding a polar sulfate group to a drug, enhancing its water solubility and promoting excretion. This process can either co-occur with or occur independently of glucuronidation. Nonmicrosomal sulfotransferase enzymes catalyze the process. The reaction involves 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate or PAPS coenzyme...

Phase II biotransformations are detoxification mechanisms that conjugate xenobiotics with endogenous substances, neutralizing their toxicity.
A key example involves the conjugation of cyanide ions, which impair cellular respiration and alter hemoglobin into non-oxygen-carrying cyanmethemoglobin. To neutralize this threat, a sulfur atom from thiosulphate is transferred to the cyanide ion, catalyzed by the enzyme rhodanese, resulting in an inactive compound called thiocyanate. The production of...

Phase II reactions are essential for the detoxification and elimination of drugs from the body. These reactions involve the conjugation of parent drugs or their phase I metabolites with endogenous molecules, resulting in more hydrophilic drug conjugates. The primary conjugation reactions in this phase are sulfation and glucuronidation. Both sulfation and glucuronidation typically produce biologically inactive metabolites. However, in some cases involving prodrugs, active metabolites may be...

Glucuronidation, a pivotal phase II biotransformation process, involves the coupling of glucuronic acid to a drug or xenobiotic. Given its widespread occurrence and critical role in drug metabolism, it's considered the most crucial phase II reaction. It enhances the water solubility of substances, aiding their expulsion from the body. The driving force behind these reactions is a group of enzymes known as UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs). UGTs facilitate the transfer of a glucuronic acid...

Sulfides are the sulfur analog of ethers, just as thiols are the sulfur analog of alcohol. Like ethers, sulfides also consist of two hydrocarbon groups bonded to the central sulfur atom. Depending upon the type of groups present, sulfides can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. Symmetrical sulfides can be prepared via an SN2 reaction between 2 equivalents of an alkyl halide and one equivalent of sodium sulfide.