Preclinical evaluation of anti-inflammatory activities of the novel pyrrolopyrimidine PNU-142731A, a potential treatment for asthma.

The anti-inflammatory properties of a novel pyrrolopyrimidine, PNU-142731A, in a murine model of antigen-induced eosinophilic lung inflammation are described. PNU-142731A, when given orally, demonstrated a dose-related inhibition of eosinophil- and lymphocyte-rich accumulation in the airways of ovalbumin (OA)-sensitized and challenged (OA/OA) C57BL/6 mice. The magnitude of the suppression of lung inflammation was also dependent on length of treatment. Reductions in the levels of interleukin (IL)-5, IL-6, and IgA in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of treated OA/OA mice, when compared with vehicle-sensitized control mice (V/OA), were observed. Plasma concentrations of IL-5, total IgE, and OA-specific IgG1 were also lowered in OA/OA mice by treatment. Histological assessment of formalin-fixed lung tissue sections confirmed that the compound blocked the accumulation of eosinophils in the airway tissue. Furthermore, significantly less mucus glycoproteins were seen in the lungs of PNU-142731A-treated OA/OA mice. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of lung tissue from PNU-142731A-dosed OA/OA mice demonstrated that mRNA for Th2 cytokines was less than that in vehicle-treated OA/OA controls. OA-elicited production of IL-4 by disaggregated lung tissue cells from PNU-142371A-treated OA/OA mice was also less than that of controls. In contrast, the release of Th1 cytokines (IL-2 and interferon-gamma) were elevated. Similarly, the OA-stimulated release of Th2 cytokines (IL-5 and IL-10) by splenocytes from PNU-142731A-treated OA/OA mice were inhibited. Combined therapy of OA/OA mice with PNU-142731A and suboptimal doses of dexamethasone revealed that PNU-142731A had steroid-sparing effects. These characteristics of PNU-142731A in a murine model of allergic tissue inflammation support its clinical development as a potential treatment for asthma.

Pyrrolopyrimidines: novel brain-penetrating antioxidants with neuroprotective activity in brain injury and ischemia models.

A novel group of antioxidant compounds, the pyrrolopyrimidines, has been discovered recently. Many of these possess significantly improved oral bioavailability (56-70% in rats), increased efficacy and potency in protecting cultured neurons against iron-induced lipid peroxidative injury and as much as a 5-fold increase in brain uptake compared with the 21-aminosteroid antioxidant compound, tirilazad mesylate (U-74006F), described earlier. They appear to quench lipid peroxidation reactions by electron-donating and/or radical-trapping mechanisms. Several compounds in the series, such as U-101033E and U-104067F, demonstrate greater ability than tirilazad to protect the hippocampal CA1 region in the gerbil transient (5-min) forebrain ischemia model. Delaying treatment until 4 hr after the ischemic insult still results in significant CA1 neuronal protection. U-101033E is still effective in salvaging a portion of the CA1 neuronal population when the ischemic duration is extended to 10 min. In addition, U-101033E has been found to be protective in the context of focal cerebral ischemia, reducing infarct size in the mouse permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion model, in contrast to tirilazad which is minimally effective. These results suggest that antioxidant compounds with improved brain parenchymal penetration are better able to limit certain types of ischemic brain damage than those which are localized in the cerebral microvasculature. However, the activity of U-101033E in improving early post-traumatic recovery in mice subjected to severe concussive head injury is similar to that of tirilazad. Last, the oral bioavailability of many pyrrolopyrimidines suggests that they may be useful for certain chronic neurodegenerative disorders in which lipid peroxidation plays a role.

PNU-107484A with alpha isoform-dependent functional changes in alpha(x)beta2gamma2 subtypes of rat recombinant GABA(A) receptors.

1. We discovered a novel gamma-aminobutyric acidA (GABA(A)) receptor ligand displaying seemingly opposite functionalities, depending on the alpha isoform of the alpha(x)beta2gamma2 subtypes. PNU-107484A enhanced GABA-induced Cl- currents in the alpha1beta2gamma2 subtype, but inhibited the currents in the alpha3beta2gamma2 and alpha6beta2gamma2 subtypes, and its half-maximal concentrations in the subtypes were 3.1 +/- 0.5, 4.2 +/- 1, and 3.5 +/- 0.2 microM, respectively, without showing much dependency on alpha isoforms. 2. In the alpha1beta2 subtype, the drug at concentrations up to 40 microM showed no effect on GABA-induced Cl- currents, suggesting the requirement of the gamma subunit for its action. 3. PNU-107484A behaved like a positive allosteric modulator of the alpha1beta2gamma2 subtype with its binding site distinct from those for benzodiazepines, barbiturates and neurosteroids. With the alpha3beta2gamma2 subtype, the drug behaved like a non-competitive inhibitor of GABA, thus blocking Cl- currents by GABA alone or in the presence of pentobarbitone and neurosteroids. 4. It appears that PNU-107484A is a unique GABA(A) receptor ligand with alpha isoform-dependent functionalities, which may provide a basis for development of alpha isoform-selective ligands, and it could be useful as a probe to investigate the physiological roles of the various alpha isoform subtypes.

Contribution of serum protein association to discrepancy between the in vivo and in vitro UDS results for 6,7-dimethyl-2,4-di-1-pyrrolidinyl-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (U-89843).

U-89843 has been shown to undergo biotransformation, both in vitro and in vivo, to form U-97924 as a major primary metabolite. U-89843 was found to be positive in an in vitro UDS mutagenesis screen conducted with primary rat hepatocytes in serum-free media. In contrast to in vitro results, no evidence of genetic toxicity of U-89843 was observed in rats in the in vivo/in vitro version of the UDS test with single oral doses up to 1400 mg/kg. The negative results may be related to more robust in vivo detoxification mechanisms or relatively lower exposure to reactive metabolites formed by bioactivation of U-89843 as compared to that observed in the serum-free in vitro hepatocyte test system. Further studies showed rat serum suppressed the in vitro metabolism of U-89843 as well as the formation of the corresponding hydroxylated metabolite, U-97924, the putative precursor of proposed reactive electrophilic metabolite. The measured in vivo systemic clearance of U-89843 (0.53 l/h/kg) in rats was about 1000-fold slower than the in vitro intrinsic clearance (606 l/h/kg) estimated by measuring the formation of U-97924 in rat liver microsomal incubations. Since U-89843 is extensively associated with serum proteins a poor extraction ratio into the liver may account for the slower biotransformation of U-89843 in vivo as compared to that exhibited in in vitro serum-free hepatocyte incubations. Addition of bovine serum albumin (1-40 mg/ml) to the in vitro UDS assay medium decreased the UDS mean net grains per nucleus response of U-89843. These results suggest that the effect of serum protein should be considered when comparing serum-free in vitro UDS and in vivo UDS results for highly serum protein bound compounds.

Bioactivation of 6,7-dimethyl-2,4-di-1-pyrrolidinyl-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (U-89843) to reactive intermediates that bind covalently to macromolecules and produce genotoxicity.

U-89843 is a novel pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine antioxidant with prophylactic activity in animal models of lung inflammation. During preclinical safety evaluation, U-89843 was found to give a positive response in the in vitro unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) assay, an assay which measures DNA repair following chemically-induced DNA damage in metabolically competent rat hepatocytes. Incubation of [14C]U-89843 with liver microsomes resulted in covalent binding of radioactive material to macromolecules by a process that was NADPH-dependent. U-89843 has been shown to undergo C-6 methylhydroxylation to give U-97924, in rat both in vivo and in vitro, in a reaction catalyzed by cytochrome P450 2C11. Synthetical U-97924 is chemically reactive and undergoes dimerization in aqueous solution. The dimerization of U-97924 was significantly inhibited by addition of nucleophiles such as methanol, glutathione, and N-acetylcysteine. Characterization of the corresponding methanol, glutathione, and N-acetylcysteine adducts of U-97924 supported the hypothesis of a reaction pathway involving reactive iminium species formed via dehydration of U-97924. The metabolism-dependent irreversible covalent binding of radioactive material to liver microsomal protein and DNA also is dramatically reduced in the presence of reduced glutathione (GSH). A trifluoromethyl analog of U-89843 was prepared in an effort to block the corresponding metabolic hydroxylation pathway. This new compound (U-107634) was found to be negative in the in vitro UDS assay, and its metabolic susceptibility toward hydroxylation at the C-6 methyl group was eliminated. These observations suggest that the positive in vitro UDS results of U-89843 are mediated by the bioactivation of U-89843, leading to reactive electrophilic intermediates derived from the (hydroxymethyl)pyrrole metabolite U-97924.

In vitro and in vivo biotransformation of 6,7-dimethyl-2,4-di-1-pyrrolidinyl-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-D]pyrimidine (U-89843) in the rat.

The biotransformation of 6,7-dimethyl-2,4-di-1-pyrrolidinyl-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (U-89843) has been studied in rat both in vitro and in vivo. Major metabolites observed by HPLC analysis of rat plasma, liver cytosol, and microsomal incubations were characterized by UV, LC/MS, and comparison with synthetic standards. The structures of the metabolites were shown to be the C-6 hydroxymethyl (U-97924), C-6 formyl (U-97865), and C-6 carboxyl analogs of U-89843. In the male rat, formation of U-97924 is mediated by cytochrome P4502C11. Kinetic analysis of U-97924 formation indicated that it was a high-affinity/high-capacity process (KM = 4.2 +/- 0.5 microM; Vmax = 21.2 +/- 0.8 nmol/mg/min). Formation of U-97865 via enzymatic oxidation from the primary metabolite U-97924 was catalyzed by both the microsomal subcellular fraction in a NADPH-dependent process (presumably via cytochrome P450) and in cytosol by NAD(+)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase. Upon incubation with cytosolic fractions, U-97865 was found to undergo NAD(+)-dependent oxidation, mediated by aldehyde dehydrogenase, to the corresponding carboxylic acid. Although significant levels of U-89843, U-97924, and U-97865 were observed in vivo in rat plasma, only a minor amount of the carboxylic acid together with larger amounts of unidentified polar metabolites were excreted in urine and feces.

Neuroprotective efficacy of microvascularly-localized versus brain-penetrating antioxidants.

The 21-aminosteroid (lazaroid) tirilazad mesylate has been demonstrated to be a potent inhibitor of lipid peroxidation and to reduce traumatic and ischemic damage in a number of experimental models. Currently, tirilazad is being actively investigated in phase III clinical trials in head and spinal cord injury, ischemic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage. This compound acts in large part to protect the microvascular endothelium and consequently to maintain normal blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and cerebral blood flow autoregulatory mechanisms. However, due to its limited penetration into brain parenchyma, tirilazad has generally failed to affect delayed neuronal damage to the selectively vulnerable hippocampal CA1 and striatal regions. Recently, we have discovered a new group of antioxidant compounds, the pyrrolopyrimidines, which possess significantly improved ability to penetrate the BBB and gain direct access to neural tissue. Several compounds in the series, such as U-101033E, have demonstrated greater ability to protect the CA1 region in the gerbil transient forebrain ischemia model with a post-ischemic therapeutic window of at least four hours. In addition, U-101033E has been found to reduce infarct size in the mouse permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion model in contrast to tirilazad which is minimally effective. These results suggest that antioxidant compounds with improved brain parenchymal penetration are better able to limit certain types of ischemic brain damage compared to those which are localized in the cerebral microvasculature. On the other hand, microvascularly-localized agents like tirilazad appear to have better ability to limit BBB damage.

Selective inhibition of receptor-coupled phospholipase C-dependent processes in human platelets and polymorphonuclear neutrophils.

Aggregation of human platelets induced by a variety of agonists was inhibited by 1-[6-[[17 beta-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl] amino]hexyl]-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dionel (U-73122) (IC50 values 1-5 microM), but not by the close analog 1-[6-[[17 beta-3-methoxyestra- 1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl]amino]hexyl]-2,5-pyrrolidine-dione (U-73343) in which pyrrolidinedione was substituted for pyrroledione. Inhibition by U-73122 was not mediated by an increase in intracellular cyclic AMP. In contrast, the production of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) and the subsequent rapid increase in cytosolic Ca++ induced by either thrombin or the thromboxane-mimetic, (5Z,9 alpha, 11 alpha, 13E, 15S) 15-hydroxy-11,9-(epoxymethano)prosta- 5,13,-dien-1-oic acid (U-46619), was inhibited by U-73122 but not by U-73343. Reduction of IP3 levels appeared to reflect an inhibition of IP3 production because the hydrolysis of phosphatidyl[3H]inositol and phosphatidyl[3H]inositol 4,5-bisphosphate catalyzed by a soluble fraction from platelets was inhibited by U-73122 (Ki = 9 and 40 microM, respectively). In addition, U-73122 inhibited thromboxane B2 production induced by collagen but not that supported by exogenously added arachidonic acid, suggesting that U-73122 also inhibited receptor-coupled mobilization of arachidonic acid. After preincubation of platelets with [3H]arachidonic acid, the loss of [3H]phosphatidylinositol and accumulation of [3H]phosphatidic acid induced by thrombin was attenuated by U-73122. U-73122 did not inhibit the activities of phospholipases A2 purified either from porcine pancreas or from the venoms of Crotalus adamanteus and Naja naja. Although U-73122 inhibited neither the conversion of exogenous arachidonic acid to thromboxane B2 nor the binding of the thromboxane receptor antagonist [1S-[1 alpha, 2 beta (5Z), 3 beta, 4 alpha]]-7-[3-[[2- [2-[(phenylamino)-carbonyl]- hydrazino]methyl]-7-oxabicyclo [2.2.1]-hept-2-yl-5-heptenoic acid to platelet membranes, it was an effective inhibitor of arachidonic acid-induced aggregation of platelets. These data are consistent with the observed inhibition by U-73122 of platelet activation by the thromboxane receptor agonist, U-46619, via a mechanism that involves inhibition of a phospholipase C-dependent component(s) of signal transduction. U-73122, but not U-73343, inhibited also N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-induced aggregation of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and the associated production of IP3 and diacyglycerol. Diradylglycerol produced in PMN stimulated with N-formyl- methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine was 74 +/- 7% saponifiable and inhibited by U-73122 (Ki = 2 microM).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Potent renin inhibitory peptides containing hydrophilic end groups.

A previously reported renin inhibitor, Boc-Pro-Phe-N(Me)His-Leu psi [CHOHCH2]Val-Ile-Amp (U-71038), was altered by the incorporation of polar, hydrophilic moieties at either end, e.g., tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (THAM) or glucosamine urea groups at the N-terminus, and the THAM amide or aminomethylpyridine N-oxide at the C-terminus. These modified analogues, with dramatically improved water solubility, all retained the potent renin inhibitory activity of U-71038 in vitro. The fact that good activity was maintained in these new analogues, which possess hydrophilicity and steric bulk considerably different from the parent compound, suggests that neither end of these molecules is critical for recognition and binding of the inhibitors by renin. These modified analogues were evaluated in a rat model, and several exhibited hypotensive activity after both oral and iv administration which was greater in magnitude and longer in duration than that caused by equimolar doses of U-71038. Furthermore, unlike U-71038, the oral activity of these analogues was not dependent upon administration in a citric acid vehicle.

Receptor-coupled signal transduction in human polymorphonuclear neutrophils: effects of a novel inhibitor of phospholipase C-dependent processes on cell responsiveness.

1-[6-[[17 beta-3-Methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl]amino]hexyl]- 1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (U-73122), an inhibitor of phospholipase C (PLC)-dependent processes in human platelets, was found to be a potent inhibitor of human polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) activation by structurally unrelated receptor-specific agonists. U-73122 caused a time- and concentration-dependent (0.1-1 microM) inhibition of myeloperoxidase and vitamin B12-binding protein release from PMNs exposed to N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, recombinant human C5a, leukotriene B4 and platelet-activating factor. Activation of the respiratory burst, as measured by superoxide anion production, in PMNs stimulated with these agonists was also suppressed by U-73122. These data suggested that U-73122 inhibited a component of signal transduction that was common to the mechanisms of action of these stimuli. Production of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and 1,2-diacylglycerol and the rise in the cytosolic free calcium concentration, which are early postreceptor events in PMN activation, were all suppressed in U-73122-treated PMNs stimulated with the agonists. These signal transduction events require activation of PLC. Receptor-coupled activation of PLC in membranes isolated from PMNs was potently inhibited by U-73122. U-73122, however, had no direct effect on PMN protein kinase C activity. 1-[6-[[17 beta-3-Methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl]amino]hexyl] -2,5- pyrrolidine-dione (U-73343), a close analog of U-73122 that does not suppress PLC activity, did not inhibit receptor-specific agonist-induced PMN responsiveness. U-73122, therefore, is a novel reagent that is useful in investigating PLC function in receptor-mediated PMN activation.

Novel membrane localized iron chelators as inhibitors of iron-dependent lipid peroxidation.

Attachment of various iron chelating moieties to hydrophobic steroids greatly enhanced their abilities to inhibit iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. Using whole rat brain homogenates, lipid peroxidation initiated by the addition of 200 microM Fe2+ was assessed by the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive products (TBAR). Under these conditions, 50% inhibitory concentrations of Fe3+ chelators such as desferrioxamine or N1,N8-bis(2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl) spermidine hydrobromide (compound II) were around 170 and 50 microM respectively. Coupling desferrioxamine or compound II to a steroid at the D ring increased their potency in lipid peroxidation assays by 5- to 10-fold. Evidence that inhibition of lipid peroxidation by the steroid-chelator adducts was due to iron chelation was suggested by the fact that methylation of the catechol oxygens of compound II, which are essential for chelation, completely eliminated activity of the steroid adduct. A series of 21-aminosteroids which complex Fe2+ iron and potently inhibit iron-dependent lipid peroxidation has also been synthesized. Coupling Fe2+ chelators to hydrophobic steroids increased their inhibitory potencies by as much as 10- to 100-fold. Some steroid-based Fe2+ chelators stimulated lipid peroxidation at low concentrations in the presence of Fe3+. The degree of stimulation was related to the affinity of a compound for Fe2+ with the stronger chelators causing greater stimulation. The most potent inhibitors of lipid peroxidation in the 21-aminosteroid series were found to be those compounds forming the weakest Fe2+ complexes. The findings suggest that it is iron at or near the membrane that is responsible for the catalysis of lipid peroxidation. The compounds described should provide useful tools for studies of the involvement of iron in the lipid peroxidation process.

Arachidonic acid and 15(S)-hydroxy-5,8,11-cis-13-trans-eicosatetraenoic acid modulate human polymorphonuclear neutrophil activation by monocyte derived neutrophil activating factor.

Exposure of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) to human monocyte derived neutrophil activating factor(s) (NAF) resulted in a concentration-dependent extracellular release of granule constituents. NAF also induced the generation of 5(S),12(R)-dihydroxy-6,14-cis-8,10-trans-eicosatetraenoic acid [Leukotriene B4 (LTB4)] by PMNs which was enhanced in the presence of exogenous arachidonic acid (AA). In contrast to its enhancing effect on LTB4 production, AA inhibited NAF-stimulated PMN degranulation. 15(S)-hydroxy-5,8,11-cis-13-trans-eicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE), a product of the 15-lipoxy-genation of AA in PMNS, caused a concentration-dependent suppression of degranulation and LTB4 generation by PMNs in contact with NAF. 15-HETE also inhibited the rise in cytosolic-free calcium [( Ca2+]i) observed in NAF activated PMNs. These data suggest that AA and a 15-lipoxygenase product modulate the NAF-associated activation pathway in human PMNs.

Discovery of an arachidonic acid C-8 lipoxygenase in the gorgonian coral Pseudoplexaura porosa.

The gorgonian coral Pseudoplexaura porosa contains a lipoxygenase capable of converting exogenous arachidonic acid into (8R)-8-hydroperoxy-5,9,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid. The (8R)- (or 8-L-) configuration in this product, opposite to that observed in previously reported 8-lipoxygenase products, was determined unambiguously by comparison of oxidative ozonolysis fragments with authentic malic acid-derived standards. Extracts from the coral contained no detectable prostaglandins (PGAs, PGBs, PGEs, or PGFs). Although arachidonic acid represents one of the most abundant of the common fatty acids found in the phospholipid and total lipid fractions of P. porosa, products ascribable to the arachidonic acid 8-lipoxygenase pathway ((8R)-8-hydroperoxy-5,9,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid, the corresponding alcohol 8-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, further transformation products) have not yet been identified in the coral extracts. The physiological significance of the 8-lipoxygenase in this species remains a matter for speculation.

Evidence for 15-HETE synthesis by human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Incubation of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells with [1-14C]-arachidonic acid, followed by RP-HPLC analysis, resulted in the appearance of two principal radioactive products besides 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. The first peak was HHT, a hydrolysis product of the prostaglandin endoperoxide. The second peak was esterified, converted to the trimethylsilyl ether derivative, and analyzed by GC/MS and was shown to be the lipoxygenase product 15-HETE. Stimulation of endothelial cells with thrombin enhanced 15-HETE synthesis from arachidonate. Subsequent experiments showed that 5-HETE and 12-HETE were also synthesized by endothelial cells, but no evidence of leukotriene synthesis was found. Incubation of the 15-HETE precursor 15-HPETE with endothelial cells resulted in the formation of four distinct ultraviolet light-absorbing peaks. Ultraviolet and GC/MS analysis showed these peaks to be 8,15-diHETEs that differed only in their hydroxyl configuration and cis-trans double-bond geometry. Formation of 8,15-diHETE molecules suggests the prior formation of the unstable epoxide molecule 14,15-LTA4 or an attack at C-10 of 15-HPETE by an enzyme with mechanistic features in common with a 12-lipoxygenase. The observation that endothelial cells can synthesize both 15-HETE and 8,15-diHETE molecules suggest that this cell type contains both a 15-lipoxygenase and a system that can synthesize 14,15-LTA4.

Prevention of cecitis in hamsters by certain prostaglandins.

Acute inflammation of the colon (cecitis) was produced in hamsters by daily subcutaneous administration of an antibiotic for 3 days. The following prostaglandins completely prevented the cecitis: 16,16-dimethyl-PGE2, 15(R)-15-methyl-PGE2, and 2-acetyl-2-decarboxy-15(S)-15-methyl-PGF2 alpha. PGF2 beta was less active. The synthesis of 2-acetyl-2-decarboxy-15(S)-methyl-PGF2 alpha is described. Castor oil also prevented the cecitis and peanut oil exerted partial protection. Since these oils contain linoleic acid, a precursor of PGE1, protection may have been due to endogenous formation of that prostaglandin. A partial block of the protective effect of castor oil by treatment with indomethacin supports such mechanism. The tissue level of endogenous prostaglandins seems to exert protection since administration of cyclooxygenase inhibitors, indomethacin and aspirin, markedly increased the incidence of cecitis. Magnesium sulfate given orally and sodium salicylate given subcutaneously reduced the incidence of cecitis only partially. The following agents were inactive: loperamide, an antidiarrheic agent; carbachol, a cholinergic and diarrheogenic agent, atropine, an anticholinergic agent; and acetazolamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. These results, show that certain prostaglandins, which have been shown earlier to be cytoprotective for the stomach and the small intestine, are cytoprotective for the large intestine as well.