The anti-inflammatory peptide Ac-SDKP is released from thymosin-ß4 by renal meprin-α and prolyl oligopeptidase.

N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (Ac-SDKP) is a natural tetrapeptide with anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic properties. Previously, we have shown that prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) is involved in the Ac-SDKP release from thymosin-ß4 (Tß4). However, POP can only hydrolyze peptides shorter than 30 amino acids, and Tß4 is 43 amino acids long. This indicates that before POP hydrolysis takes place, Tß4 is hydrolyzed by another peptidase that releases NH2-terminal intermediate peptide(s) with fewer than 30 amino acids. Our peptidase database search pointed out meprin-α metalloprotease as a potential candidate. Therefore, we hypothesized that, prior to POP hydrolysis, Tß4 is hydrolyzed by meprin-α. In vitro, we found that the incubation of Tß4 with both meprin-α and POP released Ac-SDKP, whereas no Ac-SDKP was released when Tß4 was incubated with either meprin-α or POP alone. Incubation of Tß4 with rat kidney homogenates significantly released Ac-SDKP, which was blocked by the meprin-α inhibitor actinonin. In addition, kidneys from meprin-α knockout (KO) mice showed significantly lower basal Ac-SDKP amount, compared with wild-type mice. Kidney homogenates from meprin-α KO mice failed to release Ac-SDKP from Tß4. In vivo, we observed that rats treated with the ACE inhibitor captopril increased plasma concentrations of Ac-SDKP, which was inhibited by the coadministration of actinonin (vehicle, 3.1 ± 0.2 nmol/l; captopril, 15.1 ± 0.7 nmol/l; captopril + actinonin, 6.1 ± 0.3 nmol/l; P < 0.005). Similar results were obtained with urinary Ac-SDKP after actinonin treatment. We conclude that release of Ac-SDKP from Tß4 is mediated by successive hydrolysis involving meprin-α and POP.

Anticancer agent pristimerin inhibits IL-2 induced activation of T lymphocytes.

Pristimerin (PM) is a quinonemethide triterpenoid with cytotoxic activity against a wide range of cancer cell lines. However, the effect of PM on IL-2 induced activation of T lymphocytes, which play a major role in antitumor immunity has not been studied. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of PM on IL-2 induced proliferation of T cells, generation of lymphokine activated killer cells (LAK cells) and the signaling pathways involved in activation of T cells by IL-2. PM inhibited the IL-2 induced proliferation of mouse splenic T cells and the generation LAK cells at very low concentrations. The suppression of T cell proliferation by PM was associated with the inhibition of IL-2 induced Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (Jak/STAT) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (Erk1/2) signaling pathways. PM also inhibited the proliferation and differentiation-related immediate early gene products such as p-c-fos, p-c-jun, c-myc and cyclin D1. In addition, antiapoptotic (prosurvival) NF-кB, p-Akt and p-mTOR were also inhibited by PM. These data demonstrated that PM inhibits IL-2 induced T cell activation and generation of LAK cells by disrupting multiple cell signaling pathways induced by IL-2.

Mycotoxin verrucarin A inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in prostate cancer cells by inhibiting prosurvival Akt/NF-kB/mTOR signaling.

Trichothecenes are powerful mycotoxins that inhibit protein synthesis and induce ribotoxic stress response in mammalian cells. Verrucarin A (VC-A) is a Type D macrocyclic mycotoxin which inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in cancer cells. However, the antitumor activity of VC-A for prostate cancer cells has not been investigated. The objective of the present study was to determine the anticancer activity and its mechanism of action in hormone-responsive (LNCaP) and hormone-refractory (PC-3) carcinoma of the prostate (CaP) cell lines. VC-A strongly inhibited the proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase associated with the inhibition of cell cycle regulatory proteins cyclin D, cyclin E, cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks) cdk2, cdk4, cdk6 and cdk inhibitors WAF1/21 and KIP1/27. VC-A also induced apoptosis in CaP cells as characterized by the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1), procaspases-3, -8 and -9 and the inhibition of Bcl-2 family proteins that regulate apoptosis (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bax, Bak and Bad). In addition, VC-A also down-regulated the expression of prosurvival phospho-AKT (p-AKT), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) (p65) and phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) signaling proteins. Taken together, these results demonstrated strong antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing activity of verrucarin A against CaP cells through cell cycle arrest and inhibition of the prosurvival (antiapoptotic) AKT/NF-kB/mTOR signaling pathway.

In vitro metabolism and drug-drug interaction potential of UTL-5g, a novel chemo- and radioprotective agent.

N-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-5-methyl-1,2-oxazole-3-carboxamide (UTL-5g), a potential chemo- and radioprotective agent, acts as a prodrug requiring bioactivation to the active metabolite 5-methylisoxazole-3-carboxylic acid (ISOX). UTL-5g hydrolysis to ISOX and 2,4-dichloroaniline (DCA) has been identified in porcine and rabbit liver esterases. The purpose of this study was to provide insights on the metabolism and drug interaction potential of UTL-5g in humans. The kinetics of UTL-5g hydrolysis was determined in human liver microsomes (HLM) and recombinant human carboxylesterases (hCE1b and hCE2). The potential of UTL-5g and its metabolites for competitive inhibition and time-dependent inhibition of microsomal cytochrome P450 (P450) was examined in HLM. UTL-5g hydrolysis to ISOX and DCA in HLM were NADPH-independent, with a maximum rate of reaction (Vmax) of 11.1 nmol/min per mg and substrate affinity (Km) of 41.6 µM. Both hCE1b and hCE2 effectively catalyzed UTL-5g hydrolysis, but hCE2 exhibited ∼30-fold higher catalytic efficiency (Vmax/Km) than hCE1b. UTL-5g and DCA competitively inhibited microsomal CYP1A2, CYP2B6, and CYP2C19 (IC50 values <50 µM), and exhibited time-dependent inhibition of microsomal CYP1A2 with the inactivation efficiency (kinact/KI) of 0.68 and 0.51 minute(-1)·mM(-1), respectively. ISOX did not inhibit or inactivate any tested microsomal P450. In conclusion, hCE1b and hCE2 play a key role in the bioactivation of UTL-5g. Factors influencing carboxylesterase activities may have a significant impact on the pharmacological and therapeutic effects of UTL-5g. UTL-5g has the potential to inhibit P450-mediated metabolism through competitive inhibition or time-dependent inhibition. Caution is particularly needed for potential drug interactions involving competitive inhibition or time-dependent inhibition of CYP1A2 in the future clinical development of UTL-5g.

Novel Small Molecule, UTS-1401, as a Radioprotector for Total-Body Irradiation.

We report on a new radioprotector, UTS-1401, a small molecule that was synthesized (by one of us, JS) and evaluated here for its radioprotective effect against total-body irradiation (TBI). Female and male NIH Swiss mice were subjected to TBI at doses of 6.5, 7.5 and 8.5 Gy either with or without a 24 h pretreatment of UTS-1401 given ip and observed for 30 days. Survival rates were significantly increased when mice were treated with UTS-1401 compared to those not treated. The radioprotective effect of UTS-1401 was drug-dose dependent for male mice exposed to 8.5 Gy TBI with 150 mg/kg of UTS-1401 as the optimal dose. The radioprotective effect of UTS-1401 on female mice exposed to 8.5 Gy TBI was observed at 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg, with no dose response relationship noted. Female mice were more radioresistant than male mice with LD50/30 values of 7.8 Gy vs. 6.8 Gy, respectively. Weight changes after UTS-1401 alone showed a significant body weight increase at 150 mg/kg. Both the ip and iv route for UTS-1401 were similarly effective for male mice exposed to 8 Gy TBI. Further analysis using an endogenous spleen colony assay demonstrated that pretreatment of UTS-1401 for up to 72h prior to TBI protected both spleen weight and hematopoietic stem cells with a treated/untreated ratio between 2.0 and 3.2 for the latter for times between 0.5 h and 72 h. A separate in vivo study showed that pretreatment of UTS-1401 protected bone marrow CFU-GM for mice exposed to TBI. In summary, UTS-1401 is a promising small-molecule radioprotective agent as demonstrated by whole animal, hematopoietic stem cell and bone marrow myeloid progenitor cell survival.

Novel Leflunomide Analog, UTLOH-4e, Ameliorates Gouty Arthritis Induced by Monosodium Urate Via NF-κB/NLRP3 Signaling Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Gouty arthritis (GA) is a common form of inflammatory arthritis caused by intra-articular deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals; however, there is a tremendous lack of safe and effective therapy in the clinic. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this work was to investigate a novel leflunomide analogue, N-(2,4- dihydroxyphenyl)-5-methyl-1,2-oxazole-3-carboxamide (UTLOH-4e), for its potential to prevent/ treat gouty arthritis. METHODS: In this study, the anti-inflammatory activity of UTLOH-4e was evaluated by MSUinduced GA model in vivo and in vitro, and the molecular docking test was applied to estimate the affinity of UTLOH-4e/UTL-5g/b for MAPKs, NF-κB, and NLRP3. RESULTS: In vitro, UTLOH-4e (1~100 µM) treatment inhibited the inflammatory reaction with no obvious cytotoxicity in PMA-induced THP-1 macrophages exposed to MSU crystals for 24 h, involving the prominent decreased production and gene expression of IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-6. Western blot analyses demonstrated that UTLOH-4e (1~100 µM) significantly suppressed the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes, NF-κB, and MAPK pathways. Furthermore, the data from the experiment on gouty rats induced by intra-articular injection of MSU crystal confirmed that UTLOH-4e markedly ameliorated rat paw swelling, articular synovium inflammation and reduced the concentration of IL-1ß and TNF-α in serum through down-regulating NLRP3 protein expression. CONCLUSION: These results manifested that UTLOH-4e ameliorates GA induced by MSU crystals, which contributes to the modulation of NF-κB/ NLRP3 signaling pathway, suggesting that UTLOH- 4e is a promising and potent drug candidate for the prevention and treatment of gouty arthritis.

The entirely carbohydrate immunogen Tn-PS A1 induces a cancer cell selective immune response and cytokine IL-17.

The tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen/hapten Thomsen-nouveau (Tn; a-D-GalpNAc-ONH2) was conjugated to a zwitterionic capsular polysaccharide, PS A1, from commensal anaerobe Bacteroides fragilis ATCC 25285/NCTC 9343 for the development of an entirely carbohydrate cancer vaccine construct and probed for immunogenicity. This communication discloses that murine anti-Tn IgG3 antibodies both bind to and recognize human tumor cells that display the Tn hapten. Furthermore, the sera from immunization of mice with Tn-PS A1 contain cytokine interleukin 17 (IL-17A), which is known to possess anti-tumor function and represents a striking difference to an IL-2, and IL-6 profile obtained with anti-PS A1 sera.

Metabolism studies of a small-molecule tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitor, UTL-5b (GBL-5b).

UTL-5b is an anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic small-molecule tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor and a structural analogue of the anti-arthritic drug, leflunomide. Leflunomide is known to be metabolized to teriflunomide, but the metabolites of UTL-5b have not been reported. The objective of this study was to investigate whether UTL-5b has a similar metabolic behavior as leflunomide. Preliminary studies showed that when exposed to microsomes in vitro with or without NADPH, UTL-5b disappeared within 30 min. To further investigate the microsomal metabolism, liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (LC-UV) and LC/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were employed to, respectively, monitor the microsomal metabolites and identify the structure of the metabolites using LC-full scan MS and LC combined with multiple-ion monitoring MS. Fragmentation determination was analyzed by two types of scans: product ion scans and precursor ion scan. The in vitro microsomal treatment of UTL-5b resulted in two major metabolites: 5-methylisoxazole-3-carboxylic acid and 2-chloroaniline. Thus, the in vitro metabolic behavior of UTL-5b appears to be different from that of leflunomide in that the isoxazole ring is cleaved.

The small-molecule TNF-alpha modulator, UTL-5g, reduces side effects induced by cisplatin and enhances the therapeutic effect of cisplatin in vivo.

We investigated a small-molecule modulator of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), UTL-5g (also referred to as GBL-5g), as a potential chemoprotective agent against cisplatin-induced side effects including nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and hematotoxicity. Pretreatment of UTL-5g i.p. in BDF1 mice reduced the levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine induced by cisplatin treatment. The levels of both aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) in these animals were also reduced by UTL-5g. Pretreatment of UTL-5g did not significantly affect the number of white blood cells (WBC) under current experimental conditions, yet it markedly increased blood platelet counts by more than threefold. Therapeutic assessment in SCID mice inoculated with human HCT-15 tumor cells showed that UTL-5g did not attenuate the anti-tumor effect of cisplatin but increased the therapeutic efficacy of cisplatin. The LD50 of UTL-5g was determined to be > 2,000 mg/kg by an acute toxicity study. In summary, our studies showed that 1) UTL-5g significantly reduces nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity induced by cisplatin in mice, presumably by lowering the levels of TNF-alpha, 2) UTL-5g markedly increased blood platelet counts in mice and 3) UTL-5g treatment increased the therapeutic efficacy of cisplatin against HCT-15 cells inoculated in SCID mice.

Development and validation of a rapid method for the detection of latrunculol A in plasma.

Latrunculol A is a recently discovered 6,7-dihydroxy analog of the potent actin inhibitor latrunculin A. Latrunculol A has exhibited greater cytotoxicity than latrunculin A against both murine and human colon tumor cell lines in vitro. Currently, there are no reports regarding the bioavailability of latrunculol A in vivo. This study was undertaken as a prelude to pharmacokinetic assessments and it is the first work where bioavailability of latrunculol A was studied. In the present work, a simple plasma preparation and a rapid HPLC method have been developed. Mouse plasma containing latrunculol A was first treated by acetonitrile and then centrifuged at 14,000 rpm at 4 °C for 25 min. The supernatant was injected in an HPLC system comprising a Waters Symmetry NH(2) column, a mobile phase of acetonitrile/water (95/5, v/v), a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, at 220 nm. The method was validated by parameters including a good linear correlation, a limit of quantification of 9 ng/mL, and a good precision with a coefficient variation of 1.65, 1.86, and 1.26% for 20, 400, and 800 ng/mL, respectively. With this simple method, excellent separation and sensitivity of latrunculol A are achieved, thus allowing a rapid analysis of the plasma samples for absorption, distribution, and metabolism studies.

The anti-MRSA compound 3-O-alpha-L-(2″,3″-di-p-coumaroyl)rhamnoside (KCR) inhibits protein synthesis in Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) contributes to patient mortality and extended hospital stays. 3-O-alpha-L-(2″,3″-di-p-coumaroyl)rhamnoside (KCR) is a natural product antibiotic that is effective against MRSA but has no known mechanism of action (MOA). We used proteomics to identify the MOA for KCR. Methicillin sensitive S aureus and a mixture of four KCR stereoisomers were tested. A time-kill assay was used to choose a 4 h treatment using KCR at 5× its MIC for proteomic analysis. S aureus was treated in triplicate with KCR, oxacillin or vehicle and quantitative proteomic analysis was carried out using isobaric tags and mass spectrometry. 1190 proteins were identified and 552 were affected by KCR (q < 0.01). Ontology analysis identified 6 distinct translation-related categories that were affected by KCR (PIANO, 10% false-discovery rate) including structural constituent of ribosome, translation, rRNA binding, tRNA binding, tRNA processing and aminoacyl-tRNA ligase activity. Median fold changes (KCR vs Control) for small and large ribosomal components were 1.46 and 1.43 respectively. KCR inhibited the production of luciferase protein in an in vitro assay (IC50 39.6 µg/ml). Upregulation of translation-related proteins in response to KCR indicates that KCR acts to disrupt S aureus protein synthesis. This was confirmed with an in vitro transcription/translation assay. SIGNIFICANCE: Methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) contributes to patient mortality and extended hospital stays. 3-O-alpha-L-(2″,3″-di-p-coumaroyl)rhamnoside (KCR) is a natural product antibiotic that is effective against MRSA but has no known mechanism of action (MOA). Using proteomic analysis we determined that KCR acts by inhibiting protein synthesis. KCR is an exciting novel antibiotic and this work represents an important step in its development towards clinical use.

Reinvestigation of Mycothiazole Reveals the Penta-2,4-dien-1-ol Residue Imparts Picomolar Potency and 8S Configuration.

Reinvestigation of mycothiazole (1) revealed picomolar potency (IC50 = 0.00016, 0.00027, 0.00035 µM) against pancreatic, (PANC-1), liver (HepG2), and colon (HCT-116) tumor cell lines. Reevaluation of 1 provided [α]D data indicating Vanuatu specimens of C. mycofijiensis contain the 8S enantiomer of 1 and not the 8R configuration previously reported. Semisynthesis provided 8-O-acetylmycothiazole (2), 8-oxomycothiazole (8), mycothiazole nitrosobenzene derivatives (MND1, MND2: 9a, 9b), and MND3 (10) with IC50 = 0.00129, >1.0, >1.0, >1.0, >1.0 µM, respectively, against PANC-1 cell lines. These results highlight the significance of the penta-2,4-dien-1-ol residue as a key structural feature of 1 required for its cytotoxicty against tumor cell lines.

Phosphoproteome and transcription factor activity profiling identify actions of the anti-inflammatory agent UTL-5g in LPS stimulated RAW 264.7 cells including disrupting actin remodeling and STAT-3 activation.

UTL-5g is a novel small-molecule TNF-alpha modulator. It reduces cisplatin-induced side effects by protecting kidney, liver, and platelets, thereby increasing tolerance for cisplatin. UTL-5g also reduces radiation-induced acute liver toxicity. The mechanism of action for UTL-5g is not clear at the present time. A phosphoproteomic analysis to a depth of 4943 phosphopeptides and a luminescence-based transcription factor activity assay were used to provide complementary analyses of signaling events that were disrupted by UTL-5g in RAW 264.7 cells. Transcriptional activity downstream of the interferon gamma, IL-6, type 1 Interferon, TGF-ß, PKC/Ca2+ and the glucocorticoid receptor pathways were disrupted by UTL-5g. Phosphoproteomic analysis indicated that hyperphosphorylation of proteins involved in actin remodeling was suppressed by UTL-5g (gene set analysis, FDR < 1%) as was phosphorylation of Stat3, consistent with the IL-6 results in the transcription factor assay. Neither analysis indicated that LPS-induced activation of the NF-kB, cAMP/PKA and JNK signaling pathways were affected by UTL-5g. This global characterization of UTL-5g activity in a macrophage cell line discovered that it disrupts selected aspects of LPS signaling including Stat3 activation and actin remodeling providing new insight on how UTL-5g acts to reduce cisplatin-induced side effects.

The inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells by verrucarin A, a macrocyclic trichothecene, is associated with the inhibition of Akt/NF-кB/mTOR prosurvival signaling.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) remains one of the most difficult to treat of all malignancies. Multimodality regimens provide only short-term symptomatic improvement with minor impact on survival, underscoring the urgent need for novel therapeutics and treatment strategies for PDA. Trichothecenes are powerful mycotoxins that inhibit protein synthesis and induce ribotoxic stress response in mammalian cells. Verrucarin A (VC-A) is a Type D macrocyclic mycotoxin which inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells. However, the antitumor activity of VC-A for PDA cells has not been investigated. Here we show potent antitumor activity and the mechanism of action of VC-A in PDA cell lines. VC-A strongly inhibited the proliferation and arrested cells in the S phase of the cell cycle. The blocking of cell cycle progression by VC-A was associated with the inhibition of cell cycle regulatory proteins cyclin D1, cyclin E, cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks) cdk2, cdk4 and cdk inhibitor WAF1/21. VC-A induced apoptosis in PDA cells as indicated by the increased Annexin V FITC-binding, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase­1 (PARP-1) and procaspases-3, -8 and -9. VC-A also induced mitochondrial depolarization and release of cytochrome c and it inhibited Bcl-2 family proteins that regulate apoptosis (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bax and Bad). In addition, VC-A reduced the levels of inhibitors of apoptosis survivin and c-IAP-2. Finally, VC-A downregulated the expression of prosurvival phospho-Akt (p-Akt), nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) (p65) and mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) signaling proteins and their downstream mediators. Together, these results demonstrated strong antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing activity of verrucarin A for PDA cells through cell cycle arrest and inhibition of the prosurvival (antiapoptotic) AKT/NF-κB/mTOR signaling.

CDDO-Me inhibits tumor growth and prevents recurrence of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Methyl-2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oate (CDDO-Me) has shown potent antitumorigenic activity against a wide range of cancer cell lines in vitro and inhibited the growth of liver, lung and prostate cancer in vivo. In the present study, we examined the antitumor activity of CDDO-Me for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells with and without activating K-ras mutations. Treatment of K-ras mutant MiaPaCa-2 and K-ras normal BxPC-3 cells with CDDO-Me elicited strong antiproliferative and proapoptopic responses in both cell lines in culture. The inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis was accompanied by the inhibition of antiapoptotic/prosurvival p-Akt, NF-кB and p-mTOR signaling proteins. For testing efficacy of CDDO-Me in vivo heterotopic and orthotopic xenografts were generated by implanting BxPC-3 and MiaPaCa-2 cells subcutaneously and in the pancreatic tail, respectively. Treatment with CDDO-Me significantly inhibited the growth of BxPC-3 xenografts and reduced the levels of p-Akt and p-mTOR in tumor tissue. In mice with orthotopic MiaPaCa-2 xenografts, treatment with CDDO-Me prolonged the survival of mice when administered following the surgical resection of tumors. The latter was attributed to the eradication of residual PDAC remaining after resection of tumors. These preclinical data demonstrate the potential of CDDO-Me for treating primary PDAC tumors and for preventing relapse/recurrence through the destruction of residual disease.

A liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method for simultaneous determination of UTL-5g and its metabolites in human plasma.

UTL-5g is a novel small-molecule TNF-α inhibitor under investigation as both a chemoprotective and radioprotective agent. Animal studies showed that pretreatment of UTL-5g protected kidney, liver, and platelets from cisplatin-induced toxicity. In addition, UTL-5g reduced liver and lung injuries induced by radiation in vivo. Although a number of preclinical studies have been conducted, a validated bioanalytical method for UTL-5g in human plasma has not been published. In this work, a sensitive and reproducible reverse-phase liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay was developed and validated for the determination of UTL-5g and its metabolites, 5-methylisoxazole-3-carboxylic acid (ISOX) and 2,4-dichloroaniline (DCA), in human plasma. The method involves a simple methanol precipitation step followed by injection of the supernatant onto a Waters 2695 HPLC system coupled with a Waters Quattro Micro™ triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Chromatographic separation was accomplished using a Waters Nova-Pak C18 column maintained at 30°C, running at gradient mode with mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid in water and 0.1% formic acid in methanol at a flow rate of 0.2mL/min. The analytes were monitored under positive electrospray ionization (ESI). Quantitation of these compounds in plasma was linear from 0.05 to 10µM. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) was 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2µM for UTL-5g, ISOX and DCA, respectively. The accuracy and intra-and inter-day precisions were within the generally accepted criteria for bioanalytical method (<15%). This method provides a practical tool to measure and characterize the plasma concentration-time profiles for UTL-5g and its metabolites, ISOX and DCA.

HPLC Plasma Assay of a Novel Anti-MRSA Compound, Kaempferol-3-O-Alpha-L-(2",3"-di-p-coumaroyl)rhamnoside, from Sycamore Leaves.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a serious pathogen that is resistant to current antibiotic therapy. Thus, there is an urgent need for novel antimicrobial agents that can effectively combat these new strains of drug-resistant "superbugs". Recently, fractionation of an extract from Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore) leaves produced an active kaempferol molecule, 3-O-alpha-L-(2",3"-di-p-coumaroyl)rhamnoside (KCR), in four isomeric forms; all four isomers exhibit potent anti-MRSA activity. In order to further the preclinical development of KCR as a new antibiotic class, we developed and validated a simple analytical method for assaying KCR plasma concentration. Because KCR will be developed as a new drug, although comprising four stereoisomers, the analytical method was devised to assay the total amount of all four isomers. In the present work, both a plasma processing procedure and an HPLC method have been developed and validated. Mouse plasma containing KCR was first treated with ethanol and then centrifuged. The supernatant was dried, suspended in ethanol, centrifuged, and the supernatant was injected into an HPLC system comprising a Waters C18, a mobile phase composing methanol, acetonitrile, and trifluoroacetic acid and monitored at 313 nm. The method was validated by parameters including a good linear correlation, a limit of quantification of 0.27 microg/mL, and high accuracy. In summary, this method allows a rapid analysis of KCR in the plasma samples for pharmacokinetics studies.

Comparison of two molecular scaffolds, 5-methylisoxazole-3-carboxamide and 5-methylisoxazole-4-carboxamide.

Leflunomide is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Structurally, it is a derivative of 5-methylisoxazole-4-carboxamide. Upon metabolism, the N-O bond in the isoxazole ring is cleaved to form the active metabolite, teriflunomide, which was recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Both leflunomide and teriflunomide inhibit dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) thereby inhibiingt the synthesis of pyrimidine. For both drugs, the two major concerns are potential liver toxicity and teratogenicity. It was suspected that these undesirable effects might be related to the cleavage of the N-O bond. We herein summarize the metabolites-toxicity issues related to leflunomide/teriflunomide and discuss two related molecular platforms, UTL-4 and UTL-5. UTL-4 compounds are based on the same scaffold of leflunomide; their toxicological and pharmacological effects are not significantly different from those of leflunomide/teriflunomide. In UTL-5 series, the leflunomide scaffold is changed into 5-methylisoxazole-3-carboxamide. Unlike leflunomide, the N-O bond of a UTL-5 compound, UTL-5b, is not cleaved upon metabolism; instead, the peptide bond is cleaved to form its major metabolites. UTL-5b and its metabolites do not inhibit DHODH in vitro. In addition, UTL-5b and all other UTL-5 compounds have lower acute toxicity than leflunomide/teriflunomide. Furthermore, from leflunomide to UTL-5b/UTL-5g, the potential liver toxicity becomes liver protective effect. With the reduced toxicity, UTL-5 compounds still maintain significant pharmacological effects including anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic effects. In summary, our observations provide a valuable direction in drug optimization based on the modification of the leflunomide scaffold.

Ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation of antiapoptotic survivin facilitates induction of apoptosis in prostate cancer cells by pristimerin.

Pristimerin (PM), a quinonemethide triterpenoid, is a promising anticancer agent with potent antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing activities against cancer cell lines. However, the anticancer activity and mechanisms of PM in prostate cancer cells have not been adequately investigated. Here we report that the degradation of survivin plays an important role in the antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects of PM in carcinoma of the prostate (CaP) cell lines. Treatment with PM inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in LNCaP and PC-3 cells as characterized by the loss of cell viability and an increase in Annexin V-binding and cleavage of PARP-1, respectively. The antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects of PM were associated with the inhibition of cell cycle regulatory proteins, antiapoptotic survivin and members of the Bcl-2 family. Data showed that response to PM is regulated by survivin since overexpression of survivin rendered CaP cells resistant to PM. Furthermore, downregulation of survivin by PM was mediated through the ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation. Together, these data demonstrate that pristimerin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in CaP cells by abolishing survivin through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

The small-molecule TNF-α inhibitor, UTL-5g, delays deaths and increases survival rates for mice treated with high doses of cisplatin.

PURPOSE: UTL-5g is a novel small-molecule chemoprotector that lowers hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and myelotoxicity induced by cisplatin through TNF-α inhibition among other factors. The objective of this study was to investigate whether UTL-5g can reduce the overall acute toxicity of cisplatin and increase cisplatin tolerability in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BDF1 female mice were treated individually with UTL-5g (suspended in Ora-Plus) by oral gavage at 60 mg/kg, 30 min before i.p. injection of cisplatin at 10, 15, and 20 mg/kg, respectively, on Day 0. Starting from Day 1, individual mice were again treated daily by the same dose of UTL-5g for 4 consecutive days. Survivals and body weights were monitored. RESULTS: UTL-5g treatment increased the survival rate and delayed the time to death for mice treated with 150 % of the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of cisplatin (15 mg/kg). Likewise, at 200 % of the MTD of cisplatin (20 mg/kg), treatment of UTL-5g increased the survival rate and delayed the time to death. Treatment of UTL-5g did not have a significant effect on weight loss induced by cisplatin, indicating that body weight may not be a sensitive-enough measure for chemoprotection of UTL-5g against cisplatin. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, UTL-5g delayed deaths and increased survival rates of mice treated by high doses of cisplatin, indicating that UTL-5g is capable of reducing the overall acute toxicity of cisplatin and increased cisplatin tolerability in mice; this is in line with the specific chemoprotective effects of UTL-5g previously reported. Further investigation of UTL-5g in combination with cisplatin is warranted.