Nucleophilic addition of bisulfite ion to prostaglandins E2 and A2: implication in aqueous stability.

Evidence is presented to indicate that the bisulfite ion (HSO3-) adds across the C-9 carbonyl group of dinoprostone (prostaglandin E2) and across the delta 10,11- bond of prostaglandin A2. At room temperature, the apparent equilibrium constant, determined by phase solubility analysis, circular dichroism, UV spectroscopy, and partitioning, for the formation of the bisulfite adduct of dinoprostone is about 7.5 M-1 at neutral pH. From this result and a free energy relationship reported in the literature for the thermodynamics of nucleophilic addition to carbonyl groups, it is concluded that the chemical reactivity of the C-9 carbonyl group of dinoprostone is not high enough to improve aqueous stability through reversible one-step nucleophilic reactions. However, from a series of kinetic experiments, it is concluded that the equilibrium is extremely favorable for the formation of the bisulfite adduct of prostaglandin A2 over pH 4-8 at room temperature. The second-order rate constant for the attack of sulfite ion (SO3 2-) to prostaglandin A2 is 1.75 sec-1 M-1.