Stereoselective hydroxylation of nonpeptidic HIV protease inhibitors by CYP2D6.

PNU-106893, N-{3-[1-(4-hydroxy-2-oxo-6-phenyl-6-propyl-5, 6-dihydro-2H-pyran-3-yl)-2, 2-dimethylpropyl]phenyl}-1-methyl-1H-imidazole-4-sulfonamide, is a selective HIV aspartyl protease inhibitor under evaluation as a potential oral treatment of acquired immunodeficiency disease. PNU-106893 is a mixture of four stereoisomers, designated PNU-109165 (3alphaR, 6S), PNU-109166 (3alphaR, 6R), PNU-109167 (3alphaS, 6S), and PNU-109168 (3alphaS, 6R). The major P450 isoforms involved in the metabolism of PNU-106893 and its pure stereoisomers are identified as CYP2D6 and CYP3A4. The major oxidative biotransformation pathway of PNU-106893 which occurs in microsomal incubations appears to be hydroxylation of the phenylethyl side chain attached to the C-6 carbon of the dihydropyrone ring. This hydroxylation is mediated by CYP2D6 only and the process is stereoselective for the 6R absolute stereochemistry. The configuration at position 3 appears to play a minor role in the CYP2D6 mediated hydroxylation. These insights have impacted drug candidate selection for this class of compounds.

Solution structures of stromelysin complexed to thiadiazole inhibitors.

Unregulated or overexpressed matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), including stromelysin, collagenase, and gelatinase. have been implicated in several pathological conditions including arthritis and cancer. Small-molecule MMP inhibitors may have therapeutic value in the treatment of these diseases. In this regard, the solution structures of two stromelysin/ inhibitor complexes have been investigated using 1H, 13C, and 15N NMR spectroscopy. Both-inhibitors are members of a novel class of matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor that contain a thiadiazole group and that interact with stromelysin in a manner distinct from other classes of inhibitors. The inhibitors coordinate the catalytic zinc atom through their exocyclic sulfur atom, with the remainder of the ligand extending into the S1-S3 side of the active site. The binding of inhibitor containing a protonated or fluorinated aromatic ring was investigated using 1H and 19F NMR spectroscopy. The fluorinated ring was found to have a reduced ring-flip rate compared to the protonated version. A strong, coplanar interaction between the fluorinated ring of the inhibitor and the aromatic ring of Tyr155 is proposed to account for the reduced ring-flip rate and for the increase in binding affinity observed for the fluorinated inhibitor compared to the protonated inhibitor. Binding interactions observed for the thiadiazole class of ligands have implications for the design of matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors.

Enhanced in vitro hair growth at the air-liquid interface: minoxidil preserves the root sheath in cultured whisker follicles.

Inasmuch as hair follicles are difficult to maintain in culture, the study of hair biology using cultured hair follicles has met with only limited success. In our attempts to solve the problem of follicle degeneration, we cultured follicles at the air-surface interface on a modified collagen matrix (Gelfoam). In follicles cultured at the air-surface or submerged, we examined follicular morphology, hair shaft growth, sulfotransferase levels, cysteine incorporation, an expression of a tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP), and ultra-high sulfur keratin (UHSK). Follicles cultured at the air-liquid interface produced a 2.7-fold increase in hair growth and maintained an anagen-like morphology. Substrates such as nylon mesh seeded with fibroblasts, Full Thickness Skin, or 5-microns polycarbonate filter also supported hair growth, whereas Gelfilm, GF-A glass filter, filter paper, or 1-micron polycarbonate filter did not. The UHSK expression was significantly higher in the air-liquid interface cultures compared to the submerged culture. Several potassium channel openers, including minoxidil, a minoxidil analog, and the pinacidil analog (P-1075), all stimulated significant cysteine incorporation in follicles. Minoxidil and its analog specifically preserved the follicular root sheath, in contrast to P-1075 which did not, indicating a difference in the two drug types. The preservation of the root sheath was measured by increased TIMP expression and sulfotransferase activity and indicates that the root sheath is a target tissue for minoxidil. Our results show that follicles cultured at the air-liquid interface maintain a better morphology and produced greater hair growth than follicles cultured on tissue culture plastic.

Potassium channel conductance as a control mechanism in hair follicles.

The opening of intracellular potassium channels is a common mechanism of action for a set of anti-hypertensive drugs that includes the hair-growth-inducing agent minoxidil. Recent work suggests potassium channel openers (PCOs) also influence hair growth. Correlative studies demonstrate that a series of PCOs including minoxidil, pinacidil, P-1075, an active pinacidil analog, RP-49,356, cromakalim, and nicorandil maintain hair growth in cultured vibrissa follicles. Studies using balding stumptail macaques verify that minoxidil, P-1075, and cromakalim but not RP-49,356 stimulate hair growth. The definition of potassium channels and documentation of drug effects on these channels is classically done using electrophysiologic techniques. Such studies require the identification and isolation of target cells. Both these are among the unsolved problems in the area of hair biology. Estimating K+ flux using 86Rb+ as a K+ tracer is an accepted method of assessing potassium channel conductance in other organ systems. Both pinacidil and RP-49,356 induce measurable Rb+ flux in isolated vibrissa follicles and a hair epithelial cell line whereas neither minoxidil nor minoxidil sulfate had measurable effects. Potassium channels have been studied successfully in other organ systems using specific pharmacologic blockers for the various channel subtypes. Blockers including glyburide, tetraethylammonium, and procaine failed to inhibit minoxidil stimulation of cultured follicles. The current explosion of knowledge on potassium channel biology, cloning of channels, and continued progress in hair biology promise to clarify the role of K+ ions in the control of hair follicles.

A HPLC-based chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assay for assessing hair growth: comparison of the sensitivity of UV and fluorescence detection.

In our attempt to measure hair growth by hair-specific markers, we used transgenic mice to express the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene under the control of an ultrahigh sulphur keratin gene promoter. To quantitate expression of the keratin gene, we required a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assay which could measure enzyme activity in a single follicle and also could be used to assay a large number of samples without loss of sensitivity. We achieved this objective by utilizing a fluorescent substrate for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase. With HPLC-fluorescence detection, this substrate provides a sensitivity of less than 1 x 10(-13) mol, which is 1000 times greater than that achievable with HPLC-UV detection in cultured follicles. Further, the assay was automated to facilitate the analysis of more than 100 samples/day. It should be possible to apply this fluorescent assay to a number of cell or tissue studies.

Potassium channel conductance: a mechanism affecting hair growth both in vitro and in vivo.

The opening of intracellular potassium channels has been suggested as a mechanism regulating hair growth. Enhancing the flux of potassium ions is a mechanism shared by several structurally diverse antihypertensive agents including minoxidil sulfate (the active metabolite of minoxidil), pinacidil, P-1075 (a potent pinacidil analog), RP-49,356, diazoxide, cromakalim, and nicorandil. Of these drugs, minoxidil, pinacidil, and diazoxide have been reported to elicit hypertrichosis in humans. This potassium channel hypothesis was examined by testing these drugs for effects on hair growth both in vitro and in vivo. For the in vitro studies, mouse vibrissae follicles were cultured for 3 d with drug and the effects on hair growth were measured by metabolic labeling. All drugs, except diazoxide, enhanced cysteine incorporation into the hair shafts of the cultured vibrissae. Diazoxide was poorly soluble and thus was tested only at low doses. Minoxidil, P-1075, cromakalim, and RP-49,356 were also evaluated in vivo by measuring hair growth effects in balding stumptail macaque monkeys. The drugs were administered topically to defined sites on balding scalps once per day for 4-5 months and the amount of hair grown was determined by monthly measurements of shaved hair weight. Three of the drugs produced significant increases in hair weight whereas, the RP-49,356 had no effect. These studies provide correlative evidence that the opening of potassium channels is an important regulatory mechanism for hair growth. This provides the impetus for further studies on this potentially important mechanism affecting hair biology.

Interaction of minoxidil with pigment in cells of the hair follicle: an example of binding without apparent biological effects.

To identify minoxidil target cells in hair follicles we followed the uptake of radiolabeled drug in mouse vibrissae follicles both in vitro and in vivo. Autoradiography showed that both 3H-minoxidil and 3H-minoxidil sulfate accumulated in the differentiating epithelial matrix cells superior to the dermal papilla, a distribution similar to that of pigment. Minoxidil localized in melanocytes, melanocyte processes, and areas of greater melanin concentrations within the epithelial cells. Although uptake of minoxidil was significantly less in unpigmented follicles, the drug stimulated proliferation and differentiation of both pigmented and unpigmented follicles. Labeled minoxidil bound to Sepia melanin and was displaced with unlabeled minoxidil and other electron donor drugs. This interaction with melanin acts as a targeting mechanism of minoxidil to pigmented hair follicles but has no apparent functional significance in hair growth. This work illustrates how measurement of drugs in hair may be biased by pigmentation.

High-sulfur protein gene expression in a transgenic mouse.

We analyzed the effect of minoxidil on hair follicles isolated from transgenic mice. These transgenic animals synthesize the reporter enzyme CAT in their hair follicles only during the active phases of hair growth. The recombinant gene used to generate these mice contained the bacterial enzyme CAT under the control of the promoter from the gene of UHS protein. Studies using in situ hybridization showed that UHS proteins are expressed specifically in the matrix cells of the hair follicle during the terminal stages of hair differentiation. Hence the expression of the UHS proteins is a clear sign of active hair growth. With other in situ hybridization studies we demonstrated that CAT mRNA is expressed in differentiating matrix cells of the hair shaft in a location similar to that in which mRNA encodes UHS proteins. Thus we can use the levels of CAT activity as a measure of hair growth. We have confirmed that expression of the transgene is found in hair that is high in anagen and low in catagen follicles. The usefulness of our model was further demonstrated by showing that minoxidil, a drug that stimulates hair growth, increased the expression of CAT in cultured hair follicles. Thus we have demonstrated that expression of this reporter gene is sensitive, hair specific, and also useful for monitoring effects in cultured hair follicles. Hence these transgenic mice provide a model system for studying the biology of hair growth.

Minoxidil sulfate is the active metabolite that stimulates hair follicles.

An important step in understanding minoxidil's mechanism of action on hair follicles was to determine the drug's active form. We used organ-cultured vibrissa follicles to test whether it is minoxidil or its sulfated metabolite, minoxidil sulfate, that stimulates hair growth. Follicles from neonatal mice were cultured with or without drugs and effects were assessed by measuring incorporation of radiolabeled cysteine in hair shafts of the treated follicles. Assays of minoxidil sulfotransferase activity indicated that vibrissae follicles metabolize minoxidil to minoxidil sulfate. Dose-response studies showed that minoxidil sulfate is 14 times more potent than minoxidil in stimulating cysteine incorporation in cultured follicles. Three drugs that block production of intrafollicular minoxidil sulfate were tested for their effects on drug-induced hair growth. Diethylcarbamazine proved to be a noncompetitive inhibitor of sulfotransferase and prevented hair growth stimulation by minoxidil but not by minoxidil sulfate. Inhibiting the formation of intracellular PAPS with chlorate also blocked the action of minoxidil but not of minoxidil sulfate. Acetaminophen, a potent sulfate scavenger blocked cysteine incorporation by minoxidil. It also blocked follicular stimulation by minoxidil sulfate apparently by directly removing the sulfate from the drug. Experiments with U-51,607, a potent minoxidil analog that also forms a sulfated metabolite, showed that its activity was inhibited by both chlorate and diethylcarbamazine. These studies show that sulfation is a critical step for hair-growth effects of minoxidil and that it is the sulfated metabolite that directly affects hair follicles.

Hair-specific expression of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase in transgenic mice under the control of an ultra-high-sulfur keratin promoter.

We have generated a transgenic mouse line by microinjection of a chimeric DNA fragment (KER-CAT) containing a hair-specific, murine ultra-high-sulfur keratin promoter (KER) fused to the coding region of the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene. A 671-base pair (bp) stretch of the 5' promoter region was used to direct the expression of the CAT gene in this construct. Of the tissues tested for CAT activity in these transgenic animals only skin with growing hair, isolated hair follicles, and microdissected vibrissae showed substantial levels of activity. These are the same tissues where the endogenous ultra-high-sulfur keratin gene is expressed as shown by in situ hybridization. Furthermore, analysis of the CAT activity during the developmental stages of the hair growth cycle shows that the chimeric gene is expressed during the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle; this is the expected time during development for its expression. From these results we conclude that 671 bp of the promoter sequence from the ultra-high-sulfur keratin gene is sufficient to direct the correct development-specific and tissue-specific expression of the reporter gene construct in transgenic mice. The appropriate expression of the KER-CAT construct in transgenic mice is an important step in understanding the regulation of this gene during hair organogenesis.

Differences in activity of minoxidil and cyclosporin A on hair growth in nude and normal mice. Comparisons of in vivo and in vitro studies.

Hair growth effects of minoxidil and cyclosporin A were assessed in a series of experiments using nude mice. Systematic monitoring of coat hair showed that untreated nude mice grow extremely sparse and transient hair in cycles. This monitoring was done by photographing each animal through at least one full growth cycle and rating peak growth on a 1 to 4 scale. Topical administration of minoxidil or minoxidil sulfate did not influence this cyclic hair growth. Orally administered minoxidil also had no effect but oral cyclosporin A increased peak hair growth. None of the treatments altered the length of the hair cycle. Direct drug effects on follicles were tested in vitro using organ cultured vibrissae from both nude and normal mice. Minoxidil stimulated hair growth in follicles from normal but not nude mice. In contrast, cyclosporin A stimulated growth only in vibrissae follicles from nude but not normal animals. These studies show that minoxidil and cyclosporin A influence hair growth differentially. Cyclosporin A directly affects nude hair follicles by apparently compensating for a genetic defect inherent in nude follicles. Minoxidil does not have a similar effect. Apparently, the biochemical pathway activated by minoxidil is not a critical defect of hair growth in nude mice. We conclude that nude mice are not useful for studying minoxidil effects but they may be useful in studying pleiotropic effects of the nude gene on hair growth.

Minoxidil stimulates mouse vibrissae follicles in organ culture.

Minoxidil, a potent vasodilator, stimulates the growth of terminal hair from vellus or miniaturized follicles in balding scalp. To study minoxidil's action on isolated follicles we developed and validated an organ culture system using mouse whisker follicles. Control follicles cultured without minoxidil showed macroscopic changes including kinking of the hair shafts and bending of the follicles. Necrosis was evident in the differentiating epithelial elements forming the cuticle, cortex, and inner root sheath. These abnormalities were eliminated or greatly reduced in minoxidil-treated follicles. The morphology of these follicles was consistent with the production of new hair during culture. Direct measurement demonstrated that minoxidil-treated follicles grew significantly longer than control follicles during the 3-d culture. Minoxidil increased the incorporation of radiolabeled cysteine and glycine in follicles compared with control treatment. Doses of minoxidil up to 1 mM caused increased cysteine incorporation, while higher doses were inhibitory. Experiments with labeled thymidine indicated that minoxidil induced proliferation of hair epithelial cells near the base of the follicle. Autoradiography also showed that cysteine accumulated in the keratogenous zone above the dermal papilla. These studies demonstrate that organ cultured follicles are suitable for determining minoxidil's mechanism of action and may be useful for studying other aspects of hair biology. The results also show that minoxidil's effect on hair follicles is direct. This suggests that minoxidil's action in vivo includes more than just increasing blood flow to hair follicles.