Variability of enzyme markers during clinical regression of atopic dermatitis.

Skin surface enzyme activities were found to be significantly different in healthy and in skin with atopic dermatitis and, following appropriate treatment, a close correlation was observed between the clinical staging of the atopic dermatitis and the levels of the assayed marker enzymes. Samples were taken, by stripping with simple adhesive tapes, from a group of subjects on cure in a spa. The corneocytes were recovered from the first layers of the stratum corneum. Aqueous extracts of the strips were tested for their activity on chromophoric substrates which allow fluorescence spectrometry to be used to assay the trypsin-like, acid-phosphatase-like and phospholipase-A2-like activities. We show that the restoration of return to activities close to those of healthy subjects is related to the general condition of the patients, who showed a clearly improved SCORAD. Recovery of the trypsin-like activity and attenuation of the phospholipase-like activity, paralleled the regression of the dermatitis as assessed by a decrease in clinically evaluated parameters of xerosis and inflammation.

Glycolysis as a target for the design of new anti-trypanosome drugs.

Glycolysis is perceived as a promising target for new drugs against parasitic trypanosomatid protozoa because this pathway plays an essential role in their ATP supply. Trypanosomatid glycolysis is unique in that it is compartmentalized, and many of its enzymes display unique structural and kinetic features. Structure- and catalytic mechanism-based approaches are applied to design compounds that inhibit the glycolytic enzymes of the parasites without affecting the corresponding proteins of the human host. For some trypanosomatid enzymes, potent and selective inhibitors have already been developed that affect only the growth of cultured trypanosomatids, and not mammalian cells.

Synthesis, binding and structure-affinity studies of new ligands for the microsomal anti-estrogen binding site (AEBS).

New compounds have been synthesized based on the structure of the anti-tumoral drug tamoxifen and its diphenylmethane derivative, N,N-diethyl-2-[(4-phenyl-methyl)-phenoxy]-ethanamine, HCl (DPPE). These new compounds have no affinity for the estrogen receptor (ER) and bind with various affinity to the anti-estrogen binding site (AEBS). Compounds 2, 10, 12, 13, 20a, 20b, 23a, 23b, 29 exhibited 1.1-69.5 higher affinity than DPPE, and compounds 23a and 23b have 1.2 and 3.5 higher affinity than tamoxifen. Three-dimensional structure analysis, performed using the intersection of the van der Waals volume occupied by tamoxifen in its crystallographic state and the van der Waals volume of these new compounds in their calculated minimal energy conformation, correlated well with their pKi for AEBS (r = 0.84, P<0.0001, n = 18). This is the first structure-affinity relationship (SAR) ever reported for AEBS ligands. Moreover in this study we have reported the synthesis of new compounds of higher affinity than the lead compounds and that are highly specific for AEBS. Since these compounds do not bind ER they will be helpful to study AEBS mediated cytotoxicity. Moreover our study shows that our strategy is a new useful guide to design high affinity and selective ligands for AEBS.

Nova rota de síntese do megazol [1-metil-2-(5-amino-1,3,4-tiadiazol-2-il)-5-nitroimidazol], um antiparasitário ativo contra o Trypanosoma cruzi / A new synthetic route of megazol [1-methyl-2-(5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)-5-nitroimidazol], an anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agent

Em 1968, um composto do tipo 5-nitroimidazol, o megazol, foi sintetizado por Berkelhammer e Asato e demonstrou largo espectro de ação biológica. Em 1980, pesquisadores brasileiros determinaram excelente atividade desta molécula contra o Trypanosoma cruzi em ratos. Constam da literatura somente três rotas para obtenção deste fármaco, que podem ser otimizadas no tocante ao aumento da produtividade e minimizacao dos riscos. A nova rota, ora proposta, é uma alternativa para a síntese do megazol e abre caminhos para obtenção de seus análogos estruturais

Atypical neutrophil alkaline phosphatase associated with impaired neutrophil functions.

We report the case of a healthy young man presenting with atypical neutrophil alkaline phosphatase (NAP) and reduced neutrophil chemotactic activity, but with no susceptibility to infection. NAP activity was low, kinetic parameters were modified and immunoreactive properties and subcellular distribution were abnormal. Neutrophil morphology was normal. A similar pattern was observed in the patient's healthy brother. The profile of the observed anomalies offers some similarity to that previously described in patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia. However, in the present case, the NAP deficiency with impaired neutrophil function was present in two brothers with no haematological symptoms and is probably related to a non-acquired neutrophil abnormality. This observation of a primary NAP variant reinforces the hypothesis of a direct link between NAP activity and functional properties of neutrophils.

Inhibition by sodium thiophosphate and L-p-bromotetramisole of neutrophil alkaline phosphatase in normal and trisomy 21 pregnancies.

Alkaline phosphatase concentrations are known to increase in blood neutrophils of normal pregnant women. The main kinetic parameters of this enzyme were analysed and compared in a group of 30 women with normal pregnancies and a group of 11 women whose fetuses had trisomy 21 (Down's syndrome = DS). The subjects were studied at an identical stage of gestation. Significant changes occurred in thermal stability and urea resistance in cases of DS pregnancies. We also investigated the inactivation constants for two chemicals: L-p-bromotetramisole, an uncompetitive inhibitor, and sodium thiophosphate, a competitive inhibitor. Ki measured for the two inhibitors were found to be significantly lower in cases of pathological pregnancies. The patterns observed in inhibition constants extend the biochemical characteristics of the atypical isoenzyme expressed in neutrophils of women with DS pregnancies.

Characterization of a benzyl-phenoxy-ethanamine binding protein in Trypanosoma equiperdum and the possible relation between binding affinity and trypanocidal activity.

A new family of benzyl-phenoxy-ethanamine derivatives has been assayed for trypanocidal activity. Using tritiated morpholino-benzyl-phenoxy-ethanamine as a probe, it is shown that this ligand is able to bind specifically to a protein contained in extracts of Trypanosoma equiperdum. The binding is saturable and of high affinity (KD = 4 nM: Bmax = 200 fmol (mg protein)-1). The in vitro activities of the investigated compounds against this parasite correlate with their affinities to the putative binding site. Moreover, using an azido functionalized morpholino-benzyl-phenoxyethanamine as photoprobe a major M(r) = 40,000 protein was specifically revealed by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This molecular weight corresponds with the previously observed value determined for the antioestrogen binding site protein of rat liver which has been shown to specifically bind antioestrogens of the triphenylethylene family and phenoxyethanamine derivatives.

Further evidence for a biological role of anti-estrogen-binding sites in mediating the growth inhibitory action of diphenylmethane derivatives.

Several diphenylmethane derivatives have been synthesized with variable affinities for Anti-estrogen Binding Sites (ABS) but not for the estrogen receptor. Using these molecules as probes it is shown that their binding affinities for ABS correlate with their abilities to inhibit the growth of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. In contrast they have no influence on the proliferation of tamoxifen-resistant variant cells (RTx6) in which ABS are undetectable. These data support the conclusion that ABS has a functional role in the anti-proliferative effect of triphenylethylene anti-estrogens and structurally related compounds.