An assessment of the carcinogenic potential of ezetimibe using nonclinical data in a weight-of-evidence approach.

Ezetimibe blocks intestinal absorption of sterols via interaction with the Neimann-Pick C1-Like 1 (NPC1L1) transporter and is approved for use in the treatment of primary hyperlipidemia (heterozygous familial and non-familial), homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, and homozygous sitosterolemia. A recently completed randomized clinical trial [simvastatin and ezetimibe in aortic stenosis (SEAS)] testing the effectiveness of Vytorin (a combination of simvastatin and ezetimibe) in patients with aortic stenosis reported an unexpected safety finding: an increase in overall cancer incidence and cancer-associated mortality (all types) in the treated groups relative to the placebo control. A subsequent meta-analysis utilizing a much larger database from two ongoing clinical trials indicated that the observed findings in the SEAS trial were likely due to chance and not a true drug-induced effect. Nonetheless, it has been suggested by various commentators on the SEAS trial that ezetimibe may be carcinogenic. The extensive nonclinical database for ezetimibe was used to test the hypothesis that ezetimibe may be a direct or indirect carcinogen. Using two different in silico approaches, ezetimibe showed no structural alerts for genetic toxicity or carcinogenicity. Ezetimibe was not genotoxic in two reverse mutation assays, one in vitro clastogenicity assay, and two mouse micronucleus assays. No evidence of proliferative lesions was observed in three species in studies of 1-12 months in duration. Ezetimibe was not carcinogenic in standard 2-year bioassays in mice and rats. Additionally, in these 2-year bioassays, no drug-related non-neoplastic lesions were noted. The absence of drug-induced non-neoplastic or proliferative lesions in these studies indicates that ezetimibe treatment was not associated with findings characteristic of carcinogens (i.e., DNA reactivity or cell proliferation) Administration of pharmacologic doses of ezetimibe to mice did not alter hepatic expression patterns of genes associated with apoptosis, cell proliferation, or epithelial-mesenchymal transition. No evidence of drug-induced tumors was observed in mice in which the molecular target of ezetimibe (NPC 1L1) was knocked out over the life span of the animal. In conclusion, the nonclinical data do not support the proposed hypothesis based on the single observation from the SEAS trial and, rather, support the conclusion that ezetimibe does not represent a carcinogenic hazard to humans using this drug in a therapeutic setting.

Diet-induced obese mice develop peripheral, but not central, resistance to leptin.

Leptin administration reduces obesity in leptin-deficient ob/ob mice; its effects in obese humans, who have high circulating leptin levels, remain to be determined. This longitudinal study was designed to determine whether diet-induced obesity in mice produces resistance to peripheral and/or central leptin treatment. Obesity was induced in two strains of mice by exposure to a 45% fat diet. Serum leptin increased in proportion to body weight (P < 0.00001). Whereas C57BL/6 mice initially responded to peripherally administered leptin with a marked decrease in food intake, leptin resistance developed after 16 d on high fat diet; mice on 10% fat diet retained leptin sensitivity. In AKR mice, peripheral leptin significantly decreased food intake in both 10 and 45% fat-fed mice after 16 d of dietary treatment. However, after 56 d, both groups became resistant to peripherally administered leptin. Central administration of leptin to peripherally leptin-resistant AKR mice on 45% fat diet resulted in a robust response to leptin, with a dose-dependent decrease in food intake (P < 0.00001) and body weight (P < 0.0001) after a single intracerebroventricular infusion. These data demonstrate that, in a diet-induced obesity model, mice exhibit resistance to peripherally administered leptin, while retaining sensitivity to centrally administered leptin.

A new species of karst forest Bent-toed Gecko (genus Cyrtodactylus Gray) not yet threatened by foreign cement companies and a summary of Peninsular Malaysia's endemic karst forest herpetofauna and the need for its conservation.

A new species of Bent-toed Gecko, Cyrtodactylus gunungsenyumensis sp. nov. of the sworderi complex, is described from Hutan Lipur Gunung Senyum, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia and is differentiated from all other species in the sworderi complex by having a unique combination of characters including a maximum SVL of 74.7 mm; low, rounded, weakly keeled, body tubercles; 34-40 paravertebral tubercles; weak ventrolateral body fold lacking tubercles; 38-41 ventral scales; an abrupt transition between the posterior and ventral femoral scales; 20-23 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; enlarged femoral scales; no femoral or precloacal pores; no precloacal groove; wide caudal bands; and an evenly banded dorsal pattern. Cyrtodactylus gunungsenyumensis sp. nov. is a scansorial, karst forest-adapted specialist endemic to the karst ecosystem surrounding Gunung Senyum and occurs on the vertical walls of the limestone towers as well as the branches, trunks, and leaves of the vegetation in the associated karst forest. Cyrtodactylus gunungsenyumensis sp. nov. is the seventh species of karst forest-adapted Cyrtodactylus and the sixteenth endemic species of karst ecosystem reptile discovered in Peninsular Malaysia in the last seven years from only 12 different karst forests. This is a clear indication that many species remain to be discovered in the approximately 558 isolated karst ecosystems in Peninsular Malaysia not yet surveyed. These data continue to underscore the importance of karst ecosystems as reservoirs of biodiversity and microendemism and that they constitute an important component of Peninsular Malaysia's natural heritage and should be protected from the quarrying interests of foreign industrial companies.

Ezetimibe, a potent cholesterol absorption inhibitor, normalizes combined dyslipidemia in obese hyperinsulinemic hamsters.

Ezetimibe potently and selectively inhibits cholesterol absorption in the intestine, thereby reducing plasma cholesterol in preclinical models of hypercholesterolemia. Clinical trials have demonstrated that ezetimibe lowers LDL cholesterol and raises HDL cholesterol in humans. The effect of ezetimibe on other dyslipidemias, particularly hypertriglyceridemia, is not yet known. In the present studies, we assessed the effect of ezetimibe on combined hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia in obese hyperinsulinemic hamsters. Hamsters were fed chow, chow with cholesterol (0.12%), or the same cholesterol diet containing different dietary triglycerides (15%) in the absence or presence of 1 mg/kg ezetimibe (in diet) for up to 84 days. Body weight, serum insulin, leptin, glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were analyzed. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels were also determined in VLDL+IDL, LDL, and HDL. Hamsters maintained on high-fat diets became obese, hyperinsulinemic, hyperleptinemic, hypercholesterolemic, and hypertriglyceridemic. Ezetimibe did not affect body weight, insulin, or leptin, but ablated the combined hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia induced by high-fat diets. Ezetimibe normalized VLDL+IDL cholesterol and triglyceride and significantly decreased LDL cholesterol to below chow-fed levels. The ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol increased significantly with the addition of ezetimibe. Ezetimibe completely eliminated the accumulation of cholesteryl ester and free cholesterol in liver that was induced under the various dietary conditions in the absence of drug. In conclusion, ezetimibe is very effective in correcting the combined dyslipidemia in diet-induced obese hyperinsulinemic hamsters and may be an effective therapy for ameliorating combined dyslipidemia in obese insulin-resistant and/or type 2 diabetic humans.

Ezetimibe, a potent cholesterol absorption inhibitor, inhibits the development of atherosclerosis in ApoE knockout mice.

Ezetimibe (SCH58235) is a potent, selective, cholesterol absorption inhibitor. The objective of this study was to determine whether ezetimibe reduces plasma cholesterol and inhibits atherogenesis in apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE-/-) mice. Cholesterol absorption was inhibited by >90% at doses of ezetimibe >3 mg/kg in apoE-/- mice. Atherosclerosis and lipoprotein changes were determined in apoE-/- mice fed a high-fat (0.15% cholesterol) "western" diet, a low-fat (0.15% cholesterol) diet, or a semisynthetic cholesterol-free diet with or without ezetimibe (5 mg/kg per day) for 6 months. Ezetimibe reduced plasma cholesterol levels from 964 to 374 mg/dL, from 726 to 231 mg/dL, and from 516 to 178 mg/dL in the western, low-fat, and cholesterol-free diet groups, respectively. The reductions occurred in the very low density and low density lipoprotein fractions, whereas high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were increased by ezetimibe treatment. Ezetimibe reduced aortic atherosclerotic lesion surface area from 20.2% to 4.1% in the western diet group and from 24.1% to 7.0% in the low-fat cholesterol diet group. Ezetimibe reduced carotid artery atherosclerotic lesion cross-sectional area by 97% in the western and low-fat cholesterol groups and by 91% in the cholesterol-free group. Ezetimibe inhibits cholesterol absorption, reduces plasma cholesterol, increases high density lipoprotein levels, and inhibits the progression of atherosclerosis under western, low-fat, and cholesterol-free dietary conditions in apoE-/- mice. Although apoE-/- mice are more hypercholesterolemic than are humans and low density lipoprotein reductions with ezetimibe are not as pronounced clinically, ezetimibe may inhibit atherogenesis in individuals consuming restricted-fat or western diets.

Reticuloendothelial system response to hyperlipidemia in rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys.

A detailed study of the effect of various periods of hyperlipidemia on the reticuloendothelial system (RES) lipid accumulation in rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys was conducted. The cynomolgus serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were on the average more elevated than the rhesus levels throughout a 12-month period when both species were fed a diet containing 12.5% coconut oil, 12.5% butter fat, and 2% cholesterol. After cynomolgus monkeys were fed this diet, their reticuloendothelial system became more lipid laden than that of the rhesus monkeys, in both the liver and the spleen. This was also true for the circulating monocytes. Furthermore, the parenchymal cells of the cynomolgus livers also become more fat filled, and chemical analyses demonstrated more cholesterol (total, free, and esterified) and triglycerides in the liver and the spleen. Xanthomata development in the cynomolgus, although similar in type and distribution, was more extensive than that in the rhesus monkey after similar periods of experimental diet feeding. Therefore, the RES of two species of macaque monkeys are affected differently when challenged with the same high fat, high cholesterol diet, with the cynomolgus RES being much more involved with lipid and cholesterol storage than the rhesus RES.

Unusual brain growth patterns in early life in patients with autistic disorder: an MRI study.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify developmental abnormalities in cerebral and cerebellar volume in autism. METHODS: The authors studied 60 autistic and 52 normal boys (age, 2 to 16 years) using MRI. Thirty autistic boys were diagnosed and scanned when 5 years or older. The other 30 were scanned when 2 through 4 years of age and then diagnosed with autism at least 2.5 years later, at an age when the diagnosis of autism is more reliable. RESULTS: Neonatal head circumferences from clinical records were available for 14 of 15 autistic 2- to 5-year-olds and, on average, were normal (35.1 +/- 1.3 cm versus clinical norms: 34.6 +/- 1.6 cm), indicative of normal overall brain volume at birth; one measure was above the 95th percentile. By ages 2 to 4 years, 90% of autistic boys had a brain volume larger than normal average, and 37% met criteria for developmental macrencephaly. Autistic 2- to 3-year-olds had more cerebral (18%) and cerebellar (39%) white matter, and more cerebral cortical gray matter (12%) than normal, whereas older autistic children and adolescents did not have such enlarged gray and white matter volumes. In the cerebellum, autistic boys had less gray matter, smaller ratio of gray to white matter, and smaller vermis lobules VI-VII than normal controls. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal regulation of brain growth in autism results in early overgrowth followed by abnormally slowed growth. Hyperplasia was present in cerebral gray matter and cerebral and cerebellar white matter in early life in patients with autism.

Lectin binding to distinguish cell types in fixed atherosclerotic arteries.

In order to assess the possible utility of lectin binding to identify the cellular components of fixed arterial lesions we studied lectin binding in experimental rabbit and monkey vessels, as well as in human atherosclerotic arteries obtained at surgery. The avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique was used to localize the binding of the following biotinylated lectins: Concanavalin A (Con A), Dolicho biflorus agglutinin (DBA), soybean agglutinin (SBA), peanut agglutinin (PNA), Phaseolus vulgaris agglutinin (PHA), Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), and Ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA). PHA demonstrated specific cytoplasmic staining of macrophages in rabbit, monkey, and human tissues and differentiated macrophages from other cell types in atherosclerotic lesions. When morphometric comparisons were made between lesion PHA staining and another macrophage marker, acid lipase, very similar results were obtained. Con A, RCA, and WGA stained macrophages intensely and differentiated them from other cell types in normal reticuloendothelial tissues and lesions, but also stained smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells when these cells developed lipid vacuoles. UEA stained the endothelium of vasa vasorum consistently in human arteries, but staining of artery lumen endothelium was variable. Endothelial cells of rabbit or monkey vessels did not stain with UEA. DBA, PNA, and SBA did not consistently stain any cellular structures in arteries. PHA was found to be an excellent marker to differentiate and quantify macrophages in glutaraldehyde or formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded experimental and human atherosclerotic lesions. Con A, RCA and WGA merit further detailed study in conjunction with other histochemical tests as possible markers of functional changes in arterial cells during lesion development.

Apoprotein B quantification in rhesus and cynomolgus monkey atherosclerotic lesions.

The concept that much of the cholesterol deposition in atherosclerotic plaque development is provided by ingress of blood-derived apo B-rich lipoproteins into the arterial intima is given support by the study of arterial apo B accumulation. To compare the arterial wall level of immunoreactive apo B during the progression of diet-induced atherosclerosis in two widely used animal models of atherosclerosis, rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys were fed an atherogenic diet for 4, 8, and 12 months and their abdominal aortas quantitated for apo B. Apo B was extracted from aortic intima-media homogenates in two forms: Tris-buffer extractable or 'loosely bounds' and detergent (Triton X-100) extractable or 'tightly bound'. The aortic extracts were quantitated for apo B by radial immunodiffusion, using goat anti-rhesus apo B along with serum LDL standards of the appropriate species diluted in the two extract solutions. The control monkeys' aortas contained only buffer-extractable apo B. The atherosclerotic aortas of both species of monkeys progressively increased their levels of loosely bound and tightly bound apo B through 4, 8, and 12 months of atherogenic diet feeding, with the 8- and 12-month cynomolgus aortas containing much larger amounts of apo B than the rhesus aortas. These differences in aortic apo B content could be accounted for by the greater rate at which the cynomolgus atherosclerotic lesions developed at the later time points. When the total lesion apo B levels were correlated with representative morphometrically-quantitated histopathologic sections of the homogenized aortas, a highly significant correlation was seen between the total aortic apo B values and both the absolute area of the intimal lesions and the total area of oil red O stainable lipid in the lesions (P less than 0.001). These data indicate that as atherosclerotic lesions become larger and richer in lipid with progression of the disease, the amount of apo B-associated lipoproteins which are deposited unmetabolized in the lesions increases. These lipoproteins are increased in both the tightly bound and loosely bound forms.

Role of acid lipase in cholesteryl ester accumulation during atherogenesis. Correlation of enzyme activity with acid lipase-containing macrophages in rabbit and human lesions.

Purified acid lipase was previously shown to hydrolyze the artificial substrate, alpha-naphthyl palmitate, as well as triglycerides and cholesteryl esters and to form cholesteryl esters. To determine to what extent these activities are associated with acid lipase-containing cells in atherosclerotic plaques, we examined rabbit aortas at different stages of experimental lesion induction and human atherosclerotic arteries. Assays of cholesteryl ester formation, and alpha-naphthyl palmitate and cholesteryl ester hydrolysis were performed on homogenates of lesions and the hydrolysis of the artificial fatty acid ester was used as a histochemical marker to identify acid lipase positive foam cells in sections of the same lesions. The volume of lesions occupied by cells stained for acid lipase correlated strongly with the enzyme activities of the arterial homogenates. These results suggest that acid lipase-containing cells may mediate the accumulation of cholesteryl ester during atherogenesis. Since acid lipase activity marks macrophages, these methods may be useful for relating macrophage distribution and function to lesion progression, regression, and complication.

Effect of an elastin growth substrate on cholesteryl ester synthesis and foam cell formation by cultured aortic smooth muscle cells.

Exposure of smooth muscle cells cultured on plastic or glass to hyperlipidemic serum did not result in the formation of foam cells. Since elastin binds serum lipids, and vascular smooth muscle cells are normally closely associated with elastin, we investigated the effects of an elastin substrate on lipid metabolism and on the accumulation of lipid vacuoles by rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells in culture. When cells were grown in plastic petri dishes, cholesteryl ester synthesis, as measured by [14C]oleate incorporation into cholesteryl esters, was 3 times greater in rabbit hyperlipidemic serum (HLS) than in normolipemic serum (NLS) (P less than 0.001). For cells of the same subculture grown on the elastin substrate, the synthetic rate was 6-fold greater in HLS compared to NLS (P less than 0.005). The cells grown on the elastin membranes in the presence of HLS contained large numbers of Oil red O stainable lipid vacuoles and resembled foam cells, while those grown in petri dishes and exposed to HLS showed only an occasional cell containing a few vacuoles. Pre-incubation in lipoprotein-deficient serum markedly enhanced the stimulatory effect of HLS on cholesteryl ester synthesis for cells growing in plastic petric dishes but had much less stimulatory effect on the cells growing on elastin membranes. These studies indicate that close association with elastin modulates the response of smooth muscle cells to hyperlipidemia and suggest a role for elastin in the formation of foam cells of smooth muscle origin during atherogenesis.

Hypocholesterolemic activity of a novel inhibitor of cholesterol absorption, SCH 48461.

The amount of cholesterol that circulates in the plasma as lipoproteins can be affected by the balance of cholesterol metabolism within and between the intestines and liver. In the present report, we describe a novel hypocholesterolemic agent and document its pharmacological effects in animal models of hypercholesterolemia. The oral administration of (3R,4S)-1,4-bis-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-(3-phenylpropyl)-2-azetidinone (SCH 48461) reduced plasma cholesterol concentrations in cholesterol-fed hamsters, rats and rhesus monkeys with ED50s of 1, 2 and 0.2 mg/kg per day, respectively, SCH 48461 was also highly effective in reducing hepatic cholesteryl ester accumulation in cholesterol-fed hamsters and rats after 7 days of treatment. In one 3 week study, rhesus monkeys were fed a 0.25% cholesterol/22% saturated fat diet with or without SCH 48461. At the end of the 3 week period the control group's VLDL + LDL-cholesterol increased to 180 Mg/dl from a baseline of approximately 65 mg/dl while plasma apolipoprotein B levels had doubled. Animals treated daily with 1 mg/kg SCH 48461 maintained their baseline levels of VLDL + LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and plasma apolipoproteins B and A-I. After 3 weeks the diets of the two groups were switched. Within 1 week SCH 48461 (1 mg/kg per day) rapidly reversed the elevated VLDL + LDL-cholesterol levels of the previous control group to near baseline values. SCH 48461 exerted its hypocholesterolemic effect through the inhibition of cholesterol absorption. A dose of 10 mg/kg per day inhibited cholesterol absorption in cholesterol-fed hamsters by 68% while a similar reduction was achieved in chow-fed monkeys with 3 mg/kg per day. This latter dose inhibited cholesterol absorption in cholesterol-fed monkeys by 95%. Treatment of cholesterol-fed monkeys with 10 mg/kg per day SCH 48461 significantly increased fecal neutral sterol excretion (52 vs. 32 mg/kg) but had no effect on acidic sterol excretion. Using a 2-h absorption model in cholesterol-fed hamsters, SCH 48461 caused a 46% inhibition of unesterified [14C]cholesterol accumulation in the intestinal wall and a 90% inhibition of cholesteryl ester formation at a dose of 10 mg/kg. Similar data were observed when the plasma radioactivity was assessed, indicating inhibition of both free (61%) and esterified (85%) cholesterol appearance. In contrast, CI-976, a potent acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitor, did not affect the uptake of free cholesterol into the intestines while inhibiting cholesterol esterification (98% inhibition).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Substituted (1,2-diarylethyl)amide acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitors: effect of polar groups on in vitro and in vivo activity.

Substituted (1,2-diarylethyl)amides have been prepared and evaluated for their ability to inhibit microsomal acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity in vitro and to lower hepatic cholesteryl ester content in vivo in a cholesterol-fed hamster. Simple unsubstituted (diarylethyl)amides were potent inhibitors in vitro but showed poor activity in vivo. Introduction of polar groups at specific locations on the diarylethylamine moiety decreased in vitro activity but increased in vivo activity. Both effects were highly structure dependent, suggesting specific interactions which were mediating activity in each model. Optimization of these opposing effects led to compounds which were potent in both models.

Discovery of 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-(3R)-[3-(4-fluorophenyl)-(3S)-hydroxypropyl]-(4S)-(4 -hydroxyphenyl)-2-azetidinone (SCH 58235): a designed, potent, orally active inhibitor of cholesterol absorption.

(3R)-(3-Phenylpropyl)-1,(4S)-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-azetidinone (2, SCH 48461), a novel inhibitor of intestinal cholesterol absorption, has recently been described by Burnett et al. and has been demonstrated to lower total plasma cholesterol in man. The potential sites of metabolism of 2 were considered, and the most probable metabolites were prepared. The oral cholesterol-lowering efficacy of the putative metabolites was evaluated in a 7-day cholesterol-fed hamster model for the reduction of serum total cholesterol and liver cholesteryl esters versus control. On the basis of our analysis of the putative metabolite structure-activity relationship (SAR), SCH 58235 (1, 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-(3R)-[3-(4-fluorophenyl)-(3S)-hydroxypropyl]-(4S)- (4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-azetidinone) was designed to exploit activity enhancing oxidation and to block sites of potential detrimental metabolic oxidation. Additionally, a series of congeners of 2 were prepared incorporating strategically placed hydroxyl groups and fluorine atoms to further probe the SAR of 2-azetidinone cholesterol absorption inhibitors. Through the SAR analysis of a series of putative metabolites of 2, compound 1 was targeted and found to exhibit remarkable efficacy with an ED50 of 0.04 mg/kg/day for the reduction of liver cholesteryl esters in a 7-day cholesterol-fed hamster model.

2-Azetidinone cholesterol absorption inhibitors: structure-activity relationships on the heterocyclic nucleus.

A series of azetidinone cholesterol absorption inhibitors related to SCH 48461 ((-)-6) has been prepared, and compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit hepatic cholesteryl ester formation in a cholesterol-fed hamster model. Although originally designed as acyl CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitors, comparison of in vivo potency with in vitro activity in a microsomal ACAT assay indicates no correlation between activity in these two models. The molecular mechanism by which these compounds inhibit cholesterol absorption is unknown. Despite this limitation, examination of the in vivo activity of a range of compounds has revealed clear structure-activity relationships consistent with a well-defined molecular target. The details of these structure-activity relationships and their implications on the nature of the putative pharmacophore are discussed.

Histochemical detection and quantification of macrophages in rhesus and cynomolgus monkey atherosclerotic lesions.

A detailed histochemical study of the macrophage involvement during experimental atherogenesis in rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys was performed. Aortic, carotid, and femoral artery lesions were examined in both species after 4, 8, and 12 months of atherogenic diet feeding. Macrophages were identified and quantified in the atherosclerotic lesions using acid lipase, acid esterase, beta-galactosidase, and cytochrome oxidase histochemical procedures. Morphometric quantitation revealed that the cynomolgus monkey arterial lesions were larger and consistently demonstrated a greater number of cells with characteristics of macrophages in the intimal, medial, and adventitial portion of the arteries when compared to the primarily intimal rhesus monkey lesions. Biochemical assays of aortic samples for acid lipase and acid esterase activity also showed consistently higher activities in the cynomolgus samples when compared to the rhesus samples. Average serum cholesterol levels were higher in the cynomolgus monkeys than in the rhesus monkeys, but the differences in the arterial lesions still existed when animals with overlapping cholesterol levels were compared. Macrophages and their associated activities predominated in experimental cynomolgus monkey atherosclerosis when it was compared to the rhesus disease process, which may be an explanation for some of the differences in atherogenesis reported in these two species.

An avidin-biotin-peroxidase method for Fc receptors on macrophages isolated from and in sections of rat lung.

Receptors for the Fc region of immunoglobulin G (Fc receptors) were detected on pulmonary macrophages by adapting an avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique to isolated cells and sections of rat lung. After incubation with soluble rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG), surface bound IgG was identified consistently and reproducibly on glass-adherent pulmonary macrophages and on macrophages in tissue sections made from incubated lung slices. Control experiments indicated that binding was specifically mediated by surface Fc receptors. This method may be useful for identifying macrophages in intact tissues.

Identification of macrophages in sections of rabbit lung using acetoacetylated lipoproteins.

Macrophages were labeled in sections of rabbit lung with acetoacetylated low density lipoprotein (LDL), a marker internalized by cultured macrophages but not by other connective tissue cells. Using a modified technique, thin slices of fresh rabbit lung were incubated in 3,3'-dioctadecylindocarbocyanine (DiI)-labeled, acetoacetylated LDL, fixed in paraformaldehyde, and sectioned. Alveolar macrophages incorporated the fluorescently labeled, modified LDL, but surrounding stroma and parenchyma did not stain. Our results indicate that DiI-labeled, acetoacetylated LDL may be used to identify mononuclear phagocytes in tissue sections.

Ezetimibe selectively inhibits intestinal cholesterol absorption in rodents in the presence and absence of exocrine pancreatic function.

1. Ezetimibe potently inhibits the transport of cholesterol across the intestinal wall, thereby reducing plasma cholesterol in preclinical animal models of hypercholesterolemia. The effect of ezetimibe on known absorptive processes was determined in the present studies. 2. Experiments were conducted in the hamster and/or rat to determine whether ezetimibe would affect the absorption of molecules other than free cholesterol, namely cholesteryl ester, triglyceride, ethinylestradiol, progesterone, vitamins A and D, and taurocholic acid. In addition, to determine whether exocrine pancreatic function is involved in the mechanism of action of ezetimibe, a biliary anastomosis model, which eliminates exocrine pancreatic function from the intestine while maintaining bile flow, was established in the rat. 3. Ezetimibe reduced plasma cholesterol and hepatic cholesterol accumulation in cholesterol-fed hamsters with an ED(50) of 0.04 mg kg(-1). Utilizing cholesteryl esters labelled on either the cholesterol or the fatty acid moiety, we demonstrated that ezetimibe did not affect cholesteryl ester hydrolysis and the absorption of fatty acid thus generated in both hamsters and rats. The free cholesterol from this hydrolysis, however, was not absorbed (92 - 96% inhibition) in the presence of ezetimibe. Eliminating pancreatic function in rats abolished hydrolysis of cholesteryl esters, but did not affect the ability of ezetimibe to block absorption of free cholesterol (-94%). Ezetimibe did not affect the absorption of triglyceride, ethinylestradiol, progesterone, vitamins A and D, and taurocholic acid in rats. 4. Ezetimibe is a potent inhibitor of intestinal free cholesterol absorption that does not require exocrine pancreatic function for activity. Ezetimibe does not affect the absorption of triglyceride as a pancreatic lipase inhibitor (Orlistat) would, nor does it affect the absorption of vitamin A, D or taurocholate, as a bile acid sequestrant (cholestyramine) would.

Comparison of the activity and disposition of the novel cholesterol absorption inhibitor, SCH58235, and its glucuronide, SCH60663.

Previous studies described the metabolism-based discovery of a potent, selective inhibitor of intestinal absorption of cholesterol, SCH58235 (Ezetimibe). Here we demonstrate that the phenolic glucuronide (SCH60663) of SCH58235, was more potent at inhibiting cholesterol absorption in rats than SCH58235, when administered by the intraduodenal route. To understand the increased potency of the glucuronide, the metabolism and distribution of SCH58235 and SCH60663 were studied in bile duct-cannulated rats. One minute after intraduodenal delivery of SCH58235, significant levels of compound were detected in portal plasma; >95% was glucuronidated, indicating that the intestine was metabolizing SCH58235 to its glucuronide. When intraduodenally delivered as SCH58235, the compound was glucuronidated, moved through the intestinal wall, into portal plasma, through the liver, and into bile. However, when delivered as SCH60663, >95% of the compound remained in the intestinal lumen and wall, which may explain its increased potency. Significant inhibition of cholesterol absorption and glucuronidation of SCH58235 occurred when SCH58235 was intravenously injected into bile duct-cannulated rats. Autoradiographic analysis demonstrated that drug related material was located throughout the intestinal villi, but concentrated in the villus tip. These data indicate that (a) SCH58235 is rapidly metabolized in the intestine to its glucuronide; (b) once glucuronidated, the dose is excreted in the bile, thereby delivering drug related material back to the site of action and (c) the glucuronide is more potent than the parent possibly because it localizes to the intestine. Taken together, these data may explain the potency of SCH58235 in the rat (ID(50) = 0.0015 mg kg(-1)) and rhesus monkey (ID(50) = 0.0005 mg kg(-1)).