Active and inactive forms of the transition-state analog protease inhibitor leupeptin: explanation of the observed slow binding of leupeptin to cathepsin B and papain.

Leupeptin and similar peptide argininal (arginine aldehyde) transition-state analog protease inhibitors exist in three covalent forms in aqueous solution, the leupeptin hydrate (IH), a cyclic carbinolamine form (IC) generated by the addition of the guanidino epsilon N to the aldehydic carbon, and the free aldehyde form (IA). 1H NMR in D2O show their equilibrium concentrations to be 42, 56, and 2% for IH, IC (R and S enantiomers), and IA. The rates of conversion of (formula; see text) were determined by 1H NMR in D2O by trapping IA with semicarbazide. Application of a deuterium isotope effect of 2.8 led to rate constants in H2O for kC of 0.092 min-1 and kD of 0.73 min-1. The equilibrium concentration of IA and rates for kC and kD are then used to explain the lag phase in the inhibition of cathepsin B and papain by leupeptin. Two circumstances are observed. (i) At micromolar concentrations of leupeptin and papain the binding of leupeptin is biphasic with rate constants identical to kD and kC. (ii) At more dilute nanomolar concentrations of total leupeptin and proteases, the observed lag phase for approach to steady-state inhibition (with rate constant k') is now explained by the low values of the koff rate constants (0.072 min-1 for cathepsin B and 0.024 min-1 for papain) together with the extremely low concentrations of the active inhibitor form IA, with k' = kon[IA] + koff. While kon[IA] is slow, the second-order rate constant kon is found to be quite fast, 1.2 x 10(7) M-1 s-1 for cathepsin B and 1.8 x 10(7) M-1 s-1 for papain. Thus, the binding of leupeptin to cathepsin B and papain may show a lag phase, but this is not due to slow binding.

Selective inhibition of proteolytic enzymes in an in vivo mouse model for experimental metastasis.

Peptide aldehyde transition state analogue inhibitors of serine and cysteine proteases have been used to selectively inhibit proteases for which prior evidence supports a role in tumor cell metastasis. These enzymes include cathepsin B, urokinase plasminogen activator (PA), and thrombin. The inhibition constants of the peptidyl aldehyde inhibitors show that they are highly selective for a particular targeted serine or cysteine protease. The inhibitors are introduced by i.p. injection or by miniosmotic pumps into syngeneic C57BL/6 mice also given injections of B16-F10 melanoma cells, and the number of metastatic foci in the lung was determined. While the injection protocol gave an initially high but changing in vivo concentration of inhibitor over time, the minipump implant gave a constant steady state concentration of inhibitor over 5-7 days. Minipump infusion of leupeptin (acetylleucylleucylargininal), a strong inhibitor of cathepsin B at a steady state plasma concentration 1000-fold greater than its Ki(cathepsin B), gave no significant decrease in lung colonization by the B16 tumor cells. Ep475, a stoichiometric irreversible peptide inhibitor of cathepsin B-like proteases, also did not significantly inhibit metastatic foci formation. Introduction of selective inhibitors of urokinase PA, tert-butyloxycarbonylglutamylglycyl-argininal and H-glutamylglycylargininal at concentrations near its Ki, produced no significant decrease in mouse lung colonization. The selective thrombin inhibitor D-phenylalanylprolylargininal infused to a steady state concentration 100-fold greater than its Ki dramatically increased B16 melanoma colonization of mouse lung. The results indicate that neither secreted cathepsin B-like nor urokinase PA have roles in B16 colonization of mouse lung, while thrombin may have a role in preventing metastasis. These experiments do not eliminate roles for a cathepsin B-like enzyme or urokinase PA in the initial steps of the metastatic process.

Inhibition of proteolytic enzymes in the in vitro amnion model for basement membrane invasion.

The ability of B16-F10 mouse melanoma cells to cross an amnion basement membrane was determined in the presence of strong inhibitors of both serine and cysteine proteases. The concentrations of inhibitors were at orders of magnitude higher than their Ki values to serine and cysteine proteases implicated in metastasis, thus ensuring a complete inhibition for tumor secreted proteases such as cathepsin B-like proteases, plasminogen activators, and plasmin. Under these conditions of high serine and cysteine protease inhibitor concentrations, no significant decrease in B16-F10 melanoma cell invasion through the amnion was observed. Separate experiments showed that the inhibitors were neither toxic to the cells nor degraded. The results show that neither tumor cell secreted cathepsin B-like proteases nor plasminogen activator have a controlling role in basement membrane crossing in this metastatic model. A possible role for tumor cell membrane proteases in basement membrane invasion, in which the substrates of the protease bind to receptor sites near a membrane associated proteolytic activity, is not eliminated.

Evaluation of lipase activity in serum by radial enzyme diffusion.

Results of determination of serum lipase by radial enzyme diffusion correlate well with those by a titrimetric reference method in the abnormal range. The specificity of the diffusion assay allows the differentiation of patients with pancreatic disease, even when the lipase activity of the serum is within the normal limits of the tritrimetric assay. Pancreatic lipase is not detectable by the diffusion assay in the serum of individuals who are free from pancreatic disease.

Perinatal reactions of the rabbit lung to maternal endotoxemia.

The reactions of the fetal and newborn lung to in utero injury were investigated in rabbits using as a model maternal administration of Escherichia coli endotoxin, 2 to 4 mug per kg. of body weight, injected intravenously at the 29th gestational day. At 6 hours after endotoxin injection, the lung revealed diffuse alveolar damage-sparing type II cells which appeared resistant to injury but more mature than type II cells from control lungs. These changes were followed by a reparative phase which over a 2-day period resulted in increased interstitial cellularity, replacement of the damaged type I cells by proliferated type II cells, and marked intraalveolar accumulation of myelin figures. The above reactions were associated with an average increase of 100 per cent in the phospholipid content of the surfactant fraction isolated from lung washing. Postnatally, the lungs showed structural changes resembling those seen in hyaline membrane disease of the newborn. The findings suggest that the response of the alveolar epithelim to injury inudced late in gestation follows a pattern similar to that described previously in adult lung, and is assoicated with in utero increased release of surfactant. It is proposed that alveolar injury and repair, including reduction of the intracellular surfactant reservoir occurring prior to breathing, may interfere postnatally with formation and maintenance of a normal surfactant layer, thereby predisposing to respiratory distress.