G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 stimulation mediates arterial vasodilation through a K(Ca)1.1 (BK(Ca))-dependent mechanism.

Bile acids (BAs) and BA receptors, including G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 (GPBAR1), represent novel targets for the treatment of metabolic and inflammatory disorders. However, BAs elicit myriad effects on cardiovascular function, although this has not been specifically ascribed to GPBAR1. This study was designed to test whether stimulation of GPBAR1 elicits effects on cardiovascular function that are mechanism based that can be identified in acute ex vivo and in vivo cardiovascular models, to delineate whether effects were due to pathways known to be modulated by BAs, and to establish whether a therapeutic window between in vivo cardiovascular liabilities and on-target efficacy could be defined. The results demonstrated that the infusion of three structurally diverse and selective GPBAR1 agonists produced marked reductions in vascular tone and blood pressure in dog, but not in rat, as well as reflex tachycardia and a positive inotropic response, effects that manifested in an enhanced cardiac output. Changes in cardiovascular function were unrelated to modulation of the levothyroxine/thyroxine axis and were nitric oxide independent. A direct effect on vascular tone was confirmed in dog isolated vascular rings, whereby concentration-dependent decreases in tension that were tightly correlated with reductions in vascular tone observed in vivo and were blocked by iberiotoxin. Compound concentrations in which cardiovascular effects occurred, both ex vivo and in vivo, could not be separated from those necessary for modulation of GPBAR1-mediated efficacy, resulting in project termination. These results are the first to clearly demonstrate direct and potent peripheral arterial vasodilation due to GPBAR1 stimulation in vivo through activation of large conductance Ca(2+) activated potassium channel K(Ca)1.1.

Cynomolgus monkey as a surrogate for human aldehyde oxidase metabolism of the EGFR inhibitor BIBX1382.

BIBX1382 was an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor under clinical investigation for treatment of cancer. This candidate possessed an attractive preclinical absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion profile, yet failed in clinical studies due in part to poor oral exposure, resulting from extensive metabolism by aldehyde oxidase (AO). In vitro metabolism studies were performed in liver cytosol and cryopreserved hepatocytes from multiple species. In addition, a pharmacokinetic study was performed in cynomolgus monkey for comparison with the reported human pharmacokinetics of BIBX1382. Estimated hepatic clearance of BIBX1382 in rhesus (42 ml/min per kg) and cynomolgus monkey (43 ml/min per kg) liver cytosol was comparable to human (≥93% of liver blood flow). Metabolite identification after incubation of BIBX1382 in liver cytosol fortified with the AO inhibitor raloxifene confirmed that AO is involved in the formation of the predominant metabolite (BIBU1476, M1) in cynomolgus monkey. After intravenous and oral administration of BIBX1382 to cynomolgus monkeys, high plasma clearance (118 ml/min per kg) and low oral exposure (C(max) = 12.7 nM and 6% oral bioavailability) was observed, with the exposure of M1 exceeding BIBX1382 after oral dosing. This pharmacokinetic profile compared favorably with the human clinical data of BIBX1382 (plasma clearance 25-55 ml/min per kg and 5% oral bioavailability). Thus, it appears that cynomolgus monkey represents a suitable surrogate for the observed human AO metabolism of BIBX1382. To circumvent clinical failures due to uncharacterized metabolism by AO, in vitro studies in the appropriate subcellular fraction, followed by pharmacokinetic and toxicokinetic studies in the appropriately characterized surrogate species should be conducted for substrates of AO.