Gram-scale synthesis of a glucopyranosylidene-spiro-thiohydantoin and its effect on hepatic glycogen metabolism studied in vitro and in vivo

A high yielding, simple synthesis is described starting from D-glucose to p roduce gram quantities of a glucopyranosylidene-spiro-thiohydantoin. This c ompound efficiently inhibited the activity of rat liver glycogen phosphoryl ase a; moreover, it also activated phosphorylase phosphatase which, in turn , decreased the amount of glycogen phosphorylase a. Both effects result in the inhibition of glycogen mobilization and the formation of glucose from g lycogen. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.