Accelerated healing of cardiovascular textiles promoted by an RGD peptide.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron polyester) fabrics are used extensively in cardiovascular devices, e.g. heart valve sewing cuffs and vascular prostheses. While devices containing these fabrics are generally successful, it is recognized that fabrics cause complications prior to tissue ingrowth due to their thrombogenic nature. A surface active synthetic peptide, called PepTite Coating (PepTite), which was modeled after the cell attachment domain of human fibronectin has been marketed as a biocompatible coating. This peptide stimulates cell attachment through the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) sequence. Modification of medical implants with PepTite has been shown to promote ingrowth of surrounding cells into the material leading to better tissue integration, reduced inflammation and reduced fibrotic encapsulation. In this study, polyester and PTFE textiles were modified with PepTite. The effectiveness of this coating in enhancing wound healing was investigated in a simple vascular and cardiac valve model. Our results indicate that the RGD-containing peptide, PepTite, promoted the formation of an endothelial-like cell layer on both polyester and PTFE vascular patches in the dog model. PepTite was also found to promote the formation of a significantly thinner neointima (pannus) on polyester as compared to that on its uncoated control. These results were corroborated in the cardiac valve model in which a greater amount of thin pannus and less thrombus were seen on coated polyester sewing cuffs than on control uncoated cuffs. This research shows the promising tissue response to RGD coated textiles and the potential role of this peptide in material passivation via accelerated healing.

Concept and progress in the development of RGD-containing peptide pharmaceuticals.

The cell adhesion domain, arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD), has been incorporated into synthetic peptides to perform either of two modes of drug action, antagonist or agonist. Short, conformationally constrained peptides have been developed as antagonists for the platelet membrane glycoprotein complex, the integrin alpha IIb beta 3, using cell-based and integrin-based assays. In combination with a comparative molecular modeling study, these results have helped identify common conformational elements in the pharmacophore of this class of molecules. Peptides are presented that are highly potent, integrin specific, and that possess reduced pharmacological side effects. Also presented is the development of a peptide that modifies, noncovalently, the surfaces of a wide variety of synthetic materials used in medical implants. The agonist activity of [corrected] this molecule is evident from its ability to stimulate cell attachment on these surfaces. This is shown to translate into an in vivo activity of faster and more complete tissue integration, and a reduction in foreign body response.

Manipulation of cellular interactions with biomaterials toward a therapeutic outcome: a perspective.

Manipulation of the wound healing process and the manner in which tissues interact with inert biomaterials were both made possible with the discovery of arginine-glycine-aspartic (RGD) acid as a major cell recognition signal in the extracellular matrix. Whether promoting cell adhesion or selectively inhibiting cell-cell aggregation mediated by integrin cell surface receptors, RGD-containing peptides can be rationally designed to incorporate both stability and integrin specificity. Synthetic peptides containing this sequence have been linked to biodegradable biopolymers and introduced for the enhancement of dermal and corneal would healing. By accelerating the healing reaction using RGD-containing peptides, the quality of regenerated tissue seems to be improved, the extent of fibrosis restricted, and the risk of microbial infection may be reduced. Controlling the degree of fibrosis that often accompanies the healing of wounds and the reaction of tissue to foreign materials can also be achieved by natural antagonists of fibrogenic activity of TGF-beta animal models of kidney fibrosis. These advances in the biotechnology of wound healing and tissue regeneration eventually will have an overall impact on the quality of health care.

Design and synthesis of novel cyclic RGD-containing peptides as highly potent and selective integrin alpha IIb beta 3 antagonists.

Utilizing conformational constraints in conjunction with various structural considerations, we have synthesized a series of cyclic disulfide peptides that are highly potent and selective antagonists for the platelet integrin alpha IIb beta 3 (GPIIb/IIIa). The affinities of the peptides for alpha IIb beta 3 were determined by platelet aggregation assays and an alpha IIb beta 3 ELISA. Their affinities for alpha 5 beta 1 and alpha v beta 5 integrins were also determined in respective ELISA assays. Structure-activity relationship studies suggest that R-G-D-Ar-R (Ar = hydrophobic residue) is the essential pharmacophore that is responsible for their high alpha IIb beta 3 binding affinity, very high selectivity, and distinct biological properties. One of these analogues, TP9201, has been shown to inhibit platelet-mediated thrombus formation without associated prolongation of template bleeding time. The arginine residue adjacent the carboxy terminus of the R-G-D-Ar sequence could function as the biological effector element that determines this distinct and unexpected biological property.

Characterization of growth hormone releasing factor analog expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

An analog of growth hormone releasing factor (GRF), [Leu27]GRF(1-40)-OH, has been expressed and secreted in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of the alpha-factor gene promoter and prepro sequence. A single pair of consecutive basic residues served as a processing site between the alpha-factor sequences and the GRF sequences. [Leu27]GRF(1-40)-OH from fermentor broth containing 20-30 mg/L of immunoreactive peptides was shown to be correctly processed and to possess biological activity as measured in vitro and in vivo. Additional peptides purified from broth appear to result from proteolytic degradation of the original translation product. Analysis of the amino acid compositions and sequences of these peptides suggests that processing enzymes may be responsible for some of the degradation.

Monomer of sodium and potassium ion activated adenosinetriphosphatase displays complete enzymatic function.

The distribution of sodium and potassium ion activated adenosinetriphosphatase [(Na+ + K+)-ATPase] among the various oligomeric forms present in a given solution is assessed unambiguously by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. Purified enzyme dissolved in a solution of a nonionic detergent, octaethylene glycol dodecyl ether, remains dispersed and unaggregated after removal of the bulk of the detergent. Increases in the aggregation of the enzyme, which have been previously observed upon the addition of substrates to such a solution, are found to be due to changes in ionic strength rather than a consequence of the initiation of turnover. Furthermore, conditions are described that produce solutions containing stable, enzymatically active mixtures of the smaller oligomers of the asymmetric unit, alpha beta. Cross-linking by glutaraldehyde while the enzyme is turning over demonstrates that at least one of these oligomers is responsible for the observed enzymatic activity. A determination of which oligomers are present in each fraction from a glycerol gradient demonstrates that the profiles of the enzymatic activity and the concentration of monomer coincide. In addition, the monomer can form the sodium-dependent, phosphorylated intermediate of the mechanism for the enzyme. Finally, a preparation of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, dissolved in solutions of the same nonionic detergent, can be prepared in which the predominant species (greater than 85%) is the monomer. The enzyme in this solution exhibits high specific activity, and its apparent Michaelis constants for the cationic substrates are very similar to those of the purified, membrane-bound enzyme. It is concluded from these results that a monomer of the alpha beta asymmetric unit is fully capable of catalyzing (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity, and hence active transport, in the native enzyme. A reassessment of proposed molecular mechanisms for active transport is made in light of these discoveries.

Determination of the distribution of sodium and potassium ion activated adenosinetriphosphatase among the various oligomers formed in solutions of nonionic detergents.

Sodium and potassium ion activated adenosinetriphosphatase [(Na+ + K+)-ATPase] can be dispersed from the membrane-bound state, with the stable retention of the capacity to display (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity, by treatment with solutions of a homogeneous, nonionic detergent, octaethylene glycol dodecyl ether. The dispersed enzyme is incapable of turnover, however, in solutions where the free detergent concentration is above the critical micelle concentration. Treatment of solutions of this enzyme with the crosslinking reagent glutaraldehyde results in the quantitative, covalent coupling of the alpha-and beta-polypeptides. The various covalent products formed, when visualized on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, are integral oligomers of the asymmetric unit (alpha beta) of the enzyme. The noncovalent oligomers from which these products are derived can be separated on sucrose gradients based on differences in their respective sedimentation coefficients, but these sedimentation coefficients are highly dependent on the concentration of detergent in the gradient. Furthermore, the cross-linking assay reveals that changes in the aggregation state of the enzyme occur as detergent:protein ratios are varied or when the enzyme is added to the ATPase assay. These observations suggest that earlier conclusions about the oligomers of this enzyme present in detergent solution were significantly in error.

Stoichiometry and molecular weight of the minimum asymmetric unit of canine renal sodium and potassium ion-activated adenosine triphosphatase.

Sodium and potassium ion-activated adenosine triphosphatase is known to be composed of at least two different polypeptides, alpha and beta. When a detergent-treated supernatant preparation of the enzyme is reacted with the cross-linking reagent, cupric phenanthroline, a single, covalent heterodimer is formed. This product is formed from one of each of the two polypeptides. The remaining, unreacted alpha and beta chains maintain a constant ratio to each other throughout the reaction. The same heterodimer is formed in membrane-bound enzyme when reacted with several other cross-linking reagents. The protein mass ratio between the chains in the native enzyme, determined by two methods, is 2.15 +/- 0.16. Using this value and a value of 121,000 +/- 6,000 for the molecular weight of the larger polypeptide, a molecular weight of 56,000 +/- 7,000 can be calculated for the protein portion of the smaller polypeptide. Upon removal of a substantial portion of the carbohydrate from the smaller polypeptide, a change in its electrophoretic mobility is observed, while that of the larger polypeptide remains unaffected. The apparent length of this unglycosylated small chain is 450 residues, corresponding to a molecular weight of 51,000. Taken together, these results demonstrated that the two polypeptides of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase exist in an equimolar, noncovalent association in the native enzyme, and that the protein molecular weight of the minimum asymmetric unit is 177,000 +/- 13,000, Previous results which address the question of the quaternary structure of the ATPase are re-examined in light of these determinations.