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1.
Sci Rep ; 9(1): 16213, 2019 11 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31700043

ABSTRACT

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid mainly found in fish oil. Although several studies have suggested that it can alleviate allergy symptoms, its mechanism of action remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we found that docosahexaenoyl ethanolamide (DHEA), a metabolite of DHA produced in the human body, exerts the anti-allergic activity in vitro and in vivo. DHEA suppressed degranulation of rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells and bone marrow-derived mast cells in a dose-dependent manner without cytotoxicity. This occurred due to a decrease in Ca2+ influx, which is critical for mast cell degranulation. DHEA also suppressed IgE-mediated passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction in mice. In addition, DHEA was demonstrated to lessen an allergic symptom in a mouse model of pollinosis and to alter the production of IgE and cytokines secreted by splenocytes collected from the pollinosis mice. Taken together, this study indicates that DHEA is a promising anti-allergic agent as it inhibits mast cell degranulation and modulates other immune cells.


Subject(s)
Cell Degranulation/drug effects , Endocannabinoids/pharmacology , Hypersensitivity/drug therapy , Hypersensitivity/immunology , Immunoglobulin E/immunology , Mast Cells/drug effects , Mast Cells/immunology , Calcium/metabolism , Cell Line , Down-Regulation/drug effects , Endocannabinoids/therapeutic use , Intracellular Space/drug effects , Intracellular Space/metabolism , Mast Cells/cytology , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Signal Transduction/immunology
2.
J Med Chem ; 62(21): 9576-9592, 2019 11 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31618024

ABSTRACT

A series of unsaturated fatty acids in fish oil and their corresponding ethanolamide metabolites were explored to find active fish oil components of antiallergic activity in vitro. Ethanolamides of omega-3 fatty acids (α-linolenic acid, EPA, and DHA) were found to possess promising antiallergic activity, whereas free fatty acids and ethanolamides of other fatty acids exhibited no or weak potency. Based on this finding, structure-activity relationships of DHA-ethanolamide (DHEA) derivatives were investigated to yield better fatty acid derivatives with enhanced antiallergic activity in vitro and in vivo. When the ethanolamide moiety of DHEA was replaced by the substituted sulfonamide functionality, highly promising potency was provided in vitro. Compound 59 showed improved antiallergic activity in vivo over DHEA. The results indicate that optimized DHEA derivatives have enhanced antiallergic activity in vitro and in vivo, and the resulting structures will be an important basis for further development of bioavailable derivatives with promising allergy suppressive activity.


Subject(s)
Anti-Allergic Agents/chemistry , Anti-Allergic Agents/pharmacology , Dehydroepiandrosterone/chemistry , Dehydroepiandrosterone/pharmacology , Fish Oils/chemistry , Animals , Cell Degranulation/drug effects , Female , Mast Cells/cytology , Mast Cells/drug effects , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Structure-Activity Relationship
3.
Bioorg Med Chem ; 23(22): 7199-210, 2015 Nov 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26507430

ABSTRACT

Structure-activity relationships of amide-phosphonate derivatives as inhibitors of the human soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) were investigated. First, a series of alkyl or aryl groups were substituted on the carbon alpha to the phosphonate function in amide compounds to see whether substituted phosphonates can act as a secondary pharmacophore. A tert-butyl group (16) on the alpha carbon was found to yield most potent inhibition on the target enzyme. A 4-50-fold drop in inhibition was induced by other substituents such as aryls, substituted aryls, cycloalkyls, and alkyls. Then, the modification of the O-substituents on the phosphonate function revealed that diethyl groups (16 and 23) were preferable for inhibition to other longer alkyls or substituted alkyls. In amide compounds with the optimized diethylphosphonate moiety and an alkyl substitution such as adamantane (16), tetrahydronaphthalene (31), or adamantanemethane (36), highly potent inhibitions were gained. In addition, the resulting potent amide-phosphonate compounds had reasonable water solubility, suggesting that substituted phosphonates in amide inhibitors are effective for both inhibition potency on the human sEH and water solubility as a secondary pharmacophore.


Subject(s)
Amides/chemistry , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemistry , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Organophosphonates/chemistry , Organophosphonates/pharmacology , Adamantane/analogs & derivatives , Enzyme Activation/drug effects , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Enzyme Inhibitors/metabolism , Epoxide Hydrolases/genetics , Epoxide Hydrolases/metabolism , Humans , Protein Binding , Recombinant Proteins/biosynthesis , Recombinant Proteins/chemistry , Recombinant Proteins/genetics , Solubility , Structure-Activity Relationship , Tetrahydronaphthalenes/chemistry , Urea/chemistry
4.
Biochem Pharmacol ; 98(4): 718-31, 2015 Dec 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26494425

ABSTRACT

N,N'-disubstituted urea-based soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitors are promising therapeutics for hypertension, inflammation, and pain in multiple animal models. The drug absorption and pharmacological efficacy of these inhibitors have been reported extensively. However, the drug metabolism of these inhibitors is not well described. Here we reported the metabolic profile and associated biochemical studies of an N-adamantyl urea-based sEH inhibitor 1-adamantan-1-yl-3-(5-(2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethoxy)pentyl)urea (AEPU) in vitro and in vivo. The metabolites of AEPU were identified by interpretation of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and/or NMR. In vitro, AEPU had three major positions for phase I metabolism including oxidations on the adamantyl moiety, urea nitrogen atoms, and cleavage of the polyethylene glycol chain. In a rodent model, the metabolites from the hydroxylation on the adamantyl group and nitrogen atom were existed in blood while the metabolites from cleavage of polyethylene glycol chain were not found in urine. The major metabolite found in rodent urine was 3-(3-adamantyl-ureido)-propanoic acid, a presumably from cleavage and oxidation of the polyethylene glycol moiety. All the metabolites found were active but less potent than AEPU at inhibiting human sEH. Furthermore, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 was found to be a major enzyme mediating AEPU metabolism. In conclusion, the metabolism of AEPU resulted from oxidation by CYP could be shared with other N-adamantyl-urea-based compounds. These findings suggest possible therapeutic roles for AEPU and new strategies for drug design in this series of possible drugs.


Subject(s)
Adamantane/metabolism , Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Epoxide Hydrolases/metabolism , Urea/metabolism , Adamantane/chemistry , Adamantane/pharmacology , Animals , Epoxide Hydrolases/chemistry , Humans , Liver/drug effects , Liver/metabolism , Rats , Urea/pharmacology
5.
Bioorg Med Chem ; 22(3): 1163-75, 2014 Feb 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24433964

ABSTRACT

We explored both structure-activity relationships among substituted oxyoxalamides used as the primary pharmacophore of inhibitors of the human sEH and as a secondary pharmacophore to improve water solubility of inhibitors. When the oxyoxalamide function was modified with a variety of alkyls or substituted alkyls, compound 6 with a 2-adamantyl group and a benzyl group was found to be a potent sEH inhibitor, suggesting that the substituted oxyoxalamide function is a promising primary pharmacophore for the human sEH, and compound 6 can be a novel lead structure for the development of further improved oxyoxalamide or other related derivatives. In addition, introduction of substituted oxyoxalamide to inhibitors with an amide or urea primary pharmacophore produced significant improvements in inhibition potency and water solubility. In particular, the N,N,O-trimethyloxyoxalamide group in amide or urea inhibitors (26 and 31) was most effective among those tested for both inhibition and solubility. The results indicate that substituted oxyoxalamide function incorporated into amide or urea inhibitors is a useful secondary pharmacophore, and the resulting structures will be an important basis for the development of bioavailable sEH inhibitors.


Subject(s)
Enzyme Inhibitors/chemistry , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Structure-Activity Relationship , Amides/chemistry , Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Humans , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , Oxamic Acid/chemistry , Solubility , Urea/chemistry
6.
Bioorg Med Chem Lett ; 22(18): 5889-92, 2012 Sep 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22901393

ABSTRACT

Substituted ureas with a carboxylic acid ester as a secondary pharmacophore are potent soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitors. Although the ester substituent imparts better physical properties, such compounds are quickly metabolized to the corresponding less potent acids. Toward producing biologically active ester compounds, a series of esters were prepared and evaluated for potency on the human enzyme, stability in human liver microsomes, and physical properties. Modifications around the ester function enhanced in vitro metabolic stability of the ester inhibitors up to 32-fold without a decrease in inhibition potency. Further, several compounds had improved physical properties.


Subject(s)
Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Esters/pharmacology , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemistry , Epoxide Hydrolases/metabolism , Esters/chemical synthesis , Esters/chemistry , Humans , Microsomes, Liver/enzymology , Molecular Structure , Solubility , Structure-Activity Relationship
7.
Talanta ; 97: 262-6, 2012 Aug 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22841077

ABSTRACT

Oysters are one of foodstuffs containing a relatively high amount of cadmium. Here we report on establishment of an immunochromatographic assay (ICA) method of cadmium levels in oysters. Cadmium was extracted with 0.l mol L(-1) HCl from oysters and cleaned up from other metals by the use of an anion-exchange column. The behavior of five metals Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Cd was monitored at each step of extraction and clean-up procedure for the ICA method in an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis. The results revealed that a simple extraction method with the HCl solution was efficient enough to extract almost all of cadmium from oysters. Clean-up with an anion-exchange column presented almost no loss of cadmium adsorbed on the column and an efficient removal of metals other than cadmium. When a spiked recovery test was performed in the ICA method, the recovery ranged from 98% to 112% with relative standard deviations between 5.9% and 9.2%. The measured values of cadmium in various oyster samples in the ICA method were favorably correlated with those in ICP-MS analysis (r(2)=0.97). Overall results indicate that the ICA method established in the present study is an adequate and reliable detection method for cadmium levels in oysters.


Subject(s)
Cadmium/analysis , Chromatography, Affinity/methods , Environmental Pollutants/analysis , Food Contamination/analysis , Ostreidae/chemistry , Animals , Cadmium/isolation & purification , Chromatography, Affinity/standards , Chromatography, Ion Exchange , Environmental Pollutants/isolation & purification , Hydrochloric Acid/chemistry , Reference Standards
8.
Bioorg Med Chem ; 20(10): 3255-62, 2012 May 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22522007

ABSTRACT

Adamantyl ureas were previously identified as a group of compounds active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in culture with minimum inhibitor concentrations (MICs) below 0.1 µg/ml. These compounds have been shown to target MmpL3, a protein involved in secretion of trehalose mono-mycolate. They also inhibit both human soluble epoxide hydrolase (hsEH) and M. tuberculosis epoxide hydrolases. However, active compounds to date have high cLogP's and are poorly soluble, leading to low bioavailability and thus limiting any therapeutic application. In this study, a library of 1600 ureas (mostly adamantyl ureas), which were synthesized for the purpose of increasing the bioavailability of inhibitors of hsEH, was screened for activity against M. tuberculosis. 1-Adamantyl-3-phenyl ureas with a polar para substituent were found to retain moderate activity against M. tuberculosis and one of these compounds was shown to be present in serum after oral administration to mice. However, neither it, nor a closely related analog, reduced M. tuberculosis infection in mice. No correlation between in vitro potency against M. tuberculosis and the hsEH inhibition were found supporting the concept that activity against hsEH and M. tuberculosis can be separated. Also there was a lack of correlation with cLogP and inhibition of the growth of M. tuberculosis. Finally, members of two classes of adamantyl ureas that contained polar components to increase their bioavailability, but lacked efficacy against growing M. tuberculosis, were found to taken up by the bacterium as effectively as a highly active apolar urea suggesting that these modifications to increase bioavailability affected the interaction of the urea against its target rather than making them unable to enter the bacterium.


Subject(s)
Adamantane/chemistry , Antitubercular Agents/pharmacology , Antitubercular Agents/pharmacokinetics , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/drug effects , Urea/pharmacology , Urea/pharmacokinetics , Adamantane/pharmacokinetics , Adamantane/pharmacology , Animals , Antitubercular Agents/chemistry , Biological Availability , Humans , Mice , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Molecular Structure , Urea/chemistry
9.
J Med Chem ; 54(6): 1752-61, 2011 Mar 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21338111

ABSTRACT

Structure-activity relationships of cycloalkylamide compounds as inhibitors of human sEH were investigated. When the left side of amide function was modified by a variety of cycloalkanes, at least a C6 like cyclohexane was necessary to yield reasonable inhibition potency on the target enzyme. In compounds with a smaller cycloalkane or with a polar group on the left side of amide function, no inhibition was observed. On the other hand, increased hydrophobicity dramatically improved inhibition potency. Especially, a tetrahydronaphthalene (20) effectively increased the potency. When a series of alkyl or aryl derivatives of cycloalkylamide were investigated to continuously optimize the right side of the amide pharmacophore, a benzyl moiety functionalized with a polar group produced highly potent inhibition. A nonsubstituted benzyl, alkyl, aryl, or biaryl structure present on the right side of the cycloalkylamide function induced a big decrease in inhibition potency. Also, the resulting potent cycloalkylamide (32) showed reasonable physical properties.


Subject(s)
Amides/chemical synthesis , Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Adamantane/chemical synthesis , Adamantane/chemistry , Amides/chemistry , Cyclohexanes/chemical synthesis , Cyclohexanes/chemistry , Cyclopentanes/chemical synthesis , Cyclopentanes/chemistry , Cyclopropanes/chemical synthesis , Cyclopropanes/chemistry , Epoxide Hydrolases/chemistry , Humans , Naphthalenes/chemical synthesis , Naphthalenes/chemistry , Solubility , Stereoisomerism , Structure-Activity Relationship
10.
Eur J Pharm Sci ; 40(3): 222-38, 2010 Jun 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20359531

ABSTRACT

Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids that have anti-hypertensive and anti-inflammatory properties are mainly metabolized by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH, EC 3.3.2.3). Therefore, sEH has emerged as a therapeutic target for treating various cardiovascular diseases and inflammatory pain. N,N'-Disubstituted ureas are potent sEH inhibitors in vitro. However, in vivo usage of early sEH inhibitors has been limited by their low bioavailability and poor physiochemical properties. Therefore, a group of highly potent compounds with more drug-like physiochemical properties were evaluated by monitoring their plasma profiles in dogs treated orally with sEH inhibitors. Urea compounds with an adamantyl or a 4-trifluoromethoxyphenyl group on one side and a piperidyl or a cyclohexyl ether group on the other side of the urea function showed pharmacokinetic profiles with high plasma concentrations and long half lives. In particular, the inhibitor trans-4-[4-(3-adamantan-1-yl-ureido)-cyclohexyloxy]-benzoic acid (t-AUCB) not only is very potent with good physiochemical properties, but also shows high oral bioavailability for doses ranging from 0.01 to 1mg/kg. This compound is also very potent against the sEH of several mammals, suggesting that t-AUCB will be an excellent tool to evaluate the biology of sEH in multiple animal models. Such compounds may also be a valuable lead for the development of veterinary therapeutics.


Subject(s)
Benzoates/pharmacokinetics , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacokinetics , Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Urea/analogs & derivatives , Animals , Benzoates/blood , Benzoates/chemistry , Biological Availability , Chemistry, Pharmaceutical , Dogs , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical , Enzyme Inhibitors/blood , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemistry , Epoxide Hydrolases/blood , Female , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , Solubility , Structure-Activity Relationship , Urea/blood , Urea/chemistry , Urea/pharmacokinetics
11.
Protein Expr Purif ; 69(1): 34-8, 2010 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19782755

ABSTRACT

Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is a key enzyme involved in the metabolism of epoxy fatty acid mediators such as epoxyeicosatrienoic acids with emerging roles in the regulations of hypertension and inflammation. Inhibitors of human sEH (hsEH) are effective drug candidates for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Preparation of hsEH for enzyme inhibition studies has been carried out by using baculovirus expression system. We herein explored the feasibility of expression of hsEH in Escherichia coli cells for the study of high-throughput screening assays of enzyme inhibitors, because the bacterial expression system is easier to handle and more cost-effective than the baculovirus expression system. The functional target enzyme was successfully produced in prokaryotic expression system by an auto-induction method and exhibited comparable enzyme activity to that yielded in baculovirus expression system. The bacterial-hsEH showed similar sensitivity to the baculovirus-hsEH against six reported inhibitors. Overalls indicate that bacterial expression of hsEH employed in the present study is useful for preparing enzymatically active hsEH, leading to effective performance of high-throughput screening assay of hsEH inhibitors and to rapid identification of novel drug candidates for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.


Subject(s)
Epoxide Hydrolases/biosynthesis , Escherichia coli/metabolism , High-Throughput Screening Assays/methods , Animals , Cell Line , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel , Enzyme Induction/drug effects , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemistry , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Epoxide Hydrolases/isolation & purification , Escherichia coli/cytology , Escherichia coli/drug effects , Humans , Immunoblotting , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , Insecta , Solubility/drug effects , Substrate Specificity/drug effects
12.
Bioorg Med Chem Lett ; 19(6): 1784-9, 2009 Mar 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19216074

ABSTRACT

We investigated N-adamantyl-N'-phenyl urea derivatives as simple sEH inhibitors. Salicylate ester derivatives have high inhibitory activities against human sEH, while the free benzoic acids are less active. The methyl salicylate derivative is a potent sEH inhibitor, which also has high metabolic and chemical stabilities; suggesting that such inhibitors are potential lead molecule for bioactive compounds acting in vivo.


Subject(s)
Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Salicylates/chemistry , Urea/chemistry , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Benzoates/chemistry , Chemistry, Pharmaceutical/methods , Drug Design , Epoxide Hydrolases/chemistry , Humans , Hydrogen Bonding , Hydrolysis , Hypertension/drug therapy , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , Kinetics , Models, Chemical , Spectrometry, Fluorescence/methods
13.
Clin Sci (Lond) ; 116(1): 61-70, 2009 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18459944

ABSTRACT

Hypertension and Type 2 diabetes are co-morbid diseases that lead to the development of nephropathy. sEH (soluble epoxide hydrolase) inhibitors are reported to provide protection from renal injury. We hypothesized that the sEH inhibitor AUDA [12-(3-adamantan-1-yl-ureido)-dodecanoic acid] protects the kidney from the development of nephropathy associated with hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. Hypertension was induced in spontaneously diabetic GK (Goto-Kakizaki) rats using AngII (angiotensin II) and a high-salt diet. Hypertensive GK rats were treated for 2 weeks with either AUDA or its vehicle added to drinking water. MAP (mean arterial pressure) increased from 118+/-2 mmHg to 182+/-20 and 187+/-6 mmHg for vehicle and AUDA-treated hypertensive GK rats respectively. AUDA treatment did not alter blood glucose. Hypertension in GK rats resulted in a 17-fold increase in urinary albumin excretion, which was decreased with AUDA treatment. Renal histological evaluation determined that AUDA treatment decreased glomerular and tubular damage. In addition, AUDA treatment attenuated macrophage infiltration and inhibited urinary excretion of MCP-1 (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) and kidney cortex MCP-1 gene expression. Taken together, these results provide evidence that sEH inhibition with AUDA attenuates the progression of renal damage associated with hypertension and Type 2 diabetes.


Subject(s)
Adamantane/analogs & derivatives , Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use , Diabetic Nephropathies/prevention & control , Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Hypertension/drug therapy , Lauric Acids/therapeutic use , Adamantane/therapeutic use , Adamantane/urine , Animals , Blood Glucose/metabolism , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/complications , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/enzymology , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/enzymology , Diabetic Nephropathies/enzymology , Diabetic Nephropathies/pathology , Disease Progression , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical/methods , Enzyme Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Hypertension/complications , Hypertension/enzymology , Hypertension/pathology , Insulin/blood , Lauric Acids/urine , Lipids/blood , Male , NF-kappa B/metabolism , Rats , Rats, Inbred Strains
14.
J Cardiovasc Pharmacol ; 52(4): 314-23, 2008 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18791465

ABSTRACT

To determine whether sEH inhibitors influence atherosclerotic lesion formation, we used an established murine model of accelerated atherogenesis, ApoE knockout (-/-) mice. The sEH inhibitor, 1-adamantan-3-(5-(2-(2-ethylethoxy)ethoxy)pentyl)urea (AEPU) was delivered in drinking water. All animals were fed an atherogenic diet while simultaneously infused with angiotensin II by osmotic minipump to induce atherosclerosis. In AEPU-treated animals, there was a 53% reduction in atherosclerotic lesions in the descending aortae as compared to control aortae. AEPU and its major metabolites were detected in the plasma of animals which received it. As expected from the inhibition of sEH, a significant increase in linoleic and arachidonic acid epoxides, as well as an increase in individual 11,12-EET/DHET and 14,15-EET/DHET ratios, were observed. The reduction in atherosclerotic lesion area was inversely correlated with 11,12- and 14,15- EET/DHET ratios, suggesting that the reduction corresponds to the inhibition of sEH. Our data suggest that orally-available sEH inhibitors may be useful in the treatment of patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.


Subject(s)
Apolipoproteins E/genetics , Atherosclerosis/metabolism , Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Angiotensin II/metabolism , Animals , Atherosclerosis/chemically induced , Atherosclerosis/pathology , Diet, Atherogenic , Disease Models, Animal , Epoxide Hydrolases/chemistry , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Knockout , Molecular Structure , Molecular Weight , Pilot Projects , Solubility
15.
J Pharmacol Exp Ther ; 327(3): 707-15, 2008 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18815352

ABSTRACT

Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are derived from cytochrome P450-catalyzed epoxygenation of arachidonic acid and have emerged as important mediators of numerous biological effects. The major elimination pathway for EETs is through soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH)-catalyzed metabolism to dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (DHETs). Based on previous studies showing that EETs have anti-inflammatory effects, we hypothesized that chronic inhibition of sEH would attenuate a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in vivo. Continuous dosing of the sEH inhibitors 12-(3-adamantan-1-ylureido)-dodecanoic acid (AUDA), a polyethylene glycol ester of AUDA, and 1-adamantan-1-yl-3-(5-(2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethoxy)-pentyl)urea resulted in robust exposure to the inhibitor and target engagement, as evidenced by significant increases in plasma EET/DHET ratios following 6 days of inhibitor treatment. However, sEH inhibitor treatment was not associated with an attenuation of LPS-induced inflammatory gene expression in the liver, and AUDA did not protect from LPS-induced neutrophil infiltration. Furthermore, Ephx2-/-mice that lack sEH expression and have significantly increased plasma EET/DHET ratios were not protected from LPS-induced inflammatory gene expression or neutrophil accumulation in the liver. LPS did have an effect on sEH expression and function, as evident from a significant down-regulation of Ephx2 mRNA and a significant shift in plasma EET/DHET ratios 4 h after LPS treatment. In conclusion, there was no evidence that increasing EET levels in vivo could modulate an LPS-induced inflammatory response in the liver. However, LPS did have significant effects on plasma eicosanoid levels and hepatic Ephx2 expression, suggesting that in vivo EET levels are modulated in response to an inflammatory signal.


Subject(s)
Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/enzymology , Endotoxins/adverse effects , Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Hepatitis, Animal/enzymology , Adamantane/analogs & derivatives , Adamantane/pharmacology , Animals , Down-Regulation , Eicosanoids/blood , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Epoxide Hydrolases/genetics , Hepatitis, Animal/chemically induced , Inflammation Mediators , Lauric Acids/pharmacology , Mice , Neutrophil Infiltration
16.
J Med Chem ; 50(21): 5217-26, 2007 Oct 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17894481

ABSTRACT

Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is a therapeutic target for treating hypertension and inflammation. 1,3-Disubstituted ureas functionalized with an ether group are potent sEH inhibitors. However, their relatively low metabolic stability leads to poor pharmacokinetic properties. To improve their bioavailability, we investigated the effect of incorporating various polar groups on the ether function on the inhibition potencies, physical properties, in vitro metabolic stability, and pharmacokinetic properties. The structure-activity relationship studies showed that a hydrophobic linker between the urea group and the ether function is necessary to keep their potency. In addition, urea-ether inhibitors having a polar group such as diethylene glycol or morpholine significantly improved their physical properties and metabolic stability without any loss of inhibitory potency. Furthermore, improved pharmacokinetic properties in murine and canine models were obtained with the resulting inhibitors. These findings will facilitate the usage of sEH inhibitors in animal models of hypertension and inflammation.


Subject(s)
Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Urea/analogs & derivatives , Urea/chemical synthesis , Adamantane/analogs & derivatives , Adamantane/chemical synthesis , Adamantane/pharmacokinetics , Adamantane/pharmacology , Animals , Cyclohexanes/chemical synthesis , Cyclohexanes/pharmacokinetics , Cyclohexanes/pharmacology , Dogs , Humans , Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions , In Vitro Techniques , Mice , Microsomes, Liver/metabolism , Phenylurea Compounds/chemical synthesis , Phenylurea Compounds/pharmacokinetics , Phenylurea Compounds/pharmacology , Rats , Solubility , Structure-Activity Relationship , Urea/pharmacokinetics , Urea/pharmacology
17.
Bioorg Med Chem ; 15(1): 312-23, 2007 Jan 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17046265

ABSTRACT

The soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) plays an important role in the metabolism of endogenous chemical mediators involved in blood pressure regulation and vascular inflammation. 12-(3-Adamantan-1-yl-ureido)-dodecanoic acid (AUDA, 1) is a very active inhibitor of sEH both in vitro and in vivo. However, its relatively high melting point and limited solubility in either water or oil-based solvents leads to difficulties in formulating the compound and often results in poor in vivo availability. We investigated the effect of derivatization of the acid functional group of inhibitor 1 on the inhibition potencies, physical properties, and pharmacokinetic properties. For human sEH, similar inhibition potency was obtained when the acid of compound 1 was modified to esters (2-15). The resulting compounds exhibited improved physical properties (23-66 degrees C lower melting point and 5-fold better solubility in oil). Pharmacokinetic studies showed that the esters possess improved oral bioavailability in mice. On the other hand, amide derivatives of AUDA 1 did not show significant improvement in inhibition potencies or physical properties (higher melting points and lower solubility). The esterification of 1 results in compounds that are easier to formulate in animal food and in triglycerides for gavage and other routes of administration, making it easier to study the biological effects of sEH inhibition in vivo.


Subject(s)
Adamantane/analogs & derivatives , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Lauric Acids/chemical synthesis , Lauric Acids/pharmacology , Adamantane/administration & dosage , Adamantane/chemical synthesis , Adamantane/pharmacology , Administration, Oral , Animals , Drug Design , Enzyme Inhibitors/administration & dosage , Humans , Lauric Acids/administration & dosage , Male , Mice , Molecular Structure , Solubility , Stereoisomerism , Structure-Activity Relationship , Time Factors , Tissue Distribution
18.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 103(49): 18733-8, 2006 Dec 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17130447

ABSTRACT

Sustained cardiac hypertrophy represents one of the most common causes leading to cardiac failure. There is emerging evidence to implicate the involvement of NF-kappaB in the development of cardiac hypertrophy. However, several critical questions remain unanswered. We tested the use of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitors as a means to enhance the biological activities of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) to treat cardiac hypertrophy. sEH catalyzes the conversion of EETs to form the corresponding dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids. Previous data have suggested that EETs may inhibit the activation of NF-kappaB-mediated gene transcription. We directly demonstrate the beneficial effects of several potent sEH inhibitors (sEHIs) in cardiac hypertrophy. Specifically, we show that sEHIs can prevent the development of cardiac hypertrophy using a murine model of pressure-induced cardiac hypertrophy. In addition, sEHIs reverse the preestablished cardiac hypertrophy caused by chronic pressure overload. We further demonstrate that these compounds potently block the NF-kappaB activation in cardiac myocytes. Moreover, by using in vivo electrophysiologic recordings, our study shows a beneficial effect of the compounds in the prevention of cardiac arrhythmias that occur in association with cardiac hypertrophy. We conclude that the use of sEHIs to increase the level of the endogenous lipid epoxides such as EETs may represent a viable and completely unexplored avenue to reduce cardiac hypertrophy by blocking NF-kappaB activation.


Subject(s)
Cardiomegaly/drug therapy , Cardiomegaly/prevention & control , Enzyme Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Animals , Disease Models, Animal , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Solubility
19.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 103(37): 13646-51, 2006 Sep 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-16950874

ABSTRACT

Combination therapies have long been used to treat inflammation while reducing side effects. The present study was designed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of combination treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and previously undescribed soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitors (sEHIs) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged mice. NSAIDs inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes and thereby decrease production of metabolites that lead to pain and inflammation. The sEHIs, such as 12-(3-adamantan-1-yl-ureido)-dodecanoic acid butyl ester (AUDA-BE), stabilize anti-inflammatory epoxy-eicosatrienoic acids, which indirectly reduce the expression of COX-2 protein. Here we demonstrate that the combination therapy of NSAIDs and sEHIs produces significantly beneficial effects that are additive for alleviating pain and enhanced effects in reducing COX-2 protein expression and shifting oxylipin metabolomic profiles. When administered alone, AUDA-BE decreased protein expression of COX-2 to 73 +/- 6% of control mice treated with LPS only without altering COX-1 expression and decreased PGE(2) levels to 52 +/- 8% compared with LPS-treated mice not receiving any therapeutic intervention. When AUDA-BE was used in combination with low doses of indomethacin, celecoxib, or rofecoxib, PGE(2) concentrations dropped to 51 +/- 7, 84 +/- 9, and 91 +/- 8%, respectively, versus LPS control, without disrupting prostacyclin and thromboxane levels. These data suggest that these drug combinations (NSAIDs and sEHIs) produce a valuable beneficial analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect while prospectively decreasing side effects such as cardiovascular toxicity.


Subject(s)
Adamantane/analogs & derivatives , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use , Enzyme Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Pain/drug therapy , Urea/analogs & derivatives , Adamantane/administration & dosage , Adamantane/therapeutic use , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/administration & dosage , Cyclooxygenase 1/metabolism , Cyclooxygenase 2/metabolism , Dinoprostone/blood , Down-Regulation , Drug Therapy, Combination , Enzyme Inhibitors/administration & dosage , Epoxide Hydrolases/metabolism , Lipopolysaccharides/toxicity , Mice , Urea/administration & dosage , Urea/therapeutic use
20.
Life Sci ; 79(24): 2311-9, 2006 Nov 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-16962614

ABSTRACT

Soluble epoxide hydrolases catalyze the hydrolysis of epoxides in acyclic systems. In man this enzyme is the product of a single copy gene (EPXH-2) present on chromosome 8. The human sEH is of interest due to emerging roles of its endogenous substrates, epoxygenated fatty acids, in inflammation and hypertension. One of the consequences of inhibiting sEH in rodent inflammation models is a profound decrease in the production of pro-inflammatory and proalgesic lipid metabolites including prostaglandins. This prompted us to hypothesize that sEH inhibitors may have antinociceptive properties. Here we tested if sEH inhibitors can reduce inflammatory pain. Hyperalgesia was induced by intraplantar LPS injection and sEH inhibitors were delivered topically. We found that two structurally dissimilar but equally potent sEH inhibitors can be delivered through the transdermal route and that sEH inhibitors effectively attenuate thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in rats treated with LPS. In addition we show that epoxydized arachidonic acid metabolites, EETs, are also effective in attenuating thermal hyperalgesia in this model. In parallel with the observed biological activity metabolic analysis of oxylipids showed that inhibition of sEH resulted with a decrease in PGD2 levels and sEH generated degradation products of linoleic and arachidonic acid metabolites with a concomitant increase in epoxides of linoleic acid. These data show that inhibition of sEH may become a viable therapeutic strategy to attain analgesia.


Subject(s)
Analgesics/pharmacology , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Epoxide Hydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Hyperalgesia/prevention & control , Inflammation/enzymology , Pain Threshold/physiology , Animals , Disease Models, Animal , Epoxide Hydrolases/metabolism , Hot Temperature/adverse effects , Hyperalgesia/physiopathology , Inflammation/chemically induced , Inflammation/drug therapy , Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology , Male , Pain Threshold/drug effects , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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