Anxiogenic and Stressor Effects of the Hypothalamic Neuropeptide RFRP-3 Are Overcome by the NPFFR Antagonist GJ14.

RFamide-related peptide-3 (RFRP-3) is a recently discovered neuropeptide that has been proposed to play a role in the stress response. We aimed to elucidate the role of RFRP-3 and its receptor, neuropeptide FF (NPFF1R), in modulation of stress and anxiety responses. To achieve this, we characterized a new NPFF1R antagonist because our results showed that the only commercially available putative antagonist, RF9, is in fact an agonist at both NPFF1R and the kisspeptin receptor (KISS1R). We report here the identification and pharmacological characterization of GJ14, a true NPFFR antagonist. In in vivo tests of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, GJ14 completely blocked RFRP-3-induced corticosterone release and neuronal activation in CRH neurons. Furthermore, chronic infusion of GJ14 led to anxiolytic-like behavior, whereas RFRP-3 infusion had anxiogenic effects. Mice receiving chronic RFRP-3 infusion also had higher basal circulating corticosterone levels. These results indicate a stimulatory action of RFRP-3 on the HPA axis, consistent with the dense expression of NPFF1R in the vicinity of CRH neurons. Importantly, coinfusion of RFRP-3 and GJ14 completely reversed the anxiogenic and HPA axis-stimulatory effects of RFRP-3. Here we have established the role of RFRP-3 as a regulator of stress and anxiety. We also show that GJ14 can reverse the effects of RFRP-3 both in vitro and in vivo. Infusion of GJ14 causes anxiolysis, revealing a novel potential target for treating anxiety disorders.

Phosphatidylinositol mannoside ether analogues: syntheses and interleukin-12-inducing properties.

Phosphatidylinositol mannosides (PIMs) isolated from mycobacteria have been identified as an important class of glycolipids with significant immune modulating properties. We present here the syntheses of phosphatidylinositol dimannoside ether analogues 2 and 3 and evaluate their interleukin-12 (IL-12)-inducing properties along with dipalmitoyl PIM2 (1) in an in vitro bovine dendritic cell assay. Both synthetic PIM analogues and synthetic dipalmitoyl PIM2 (1) were effective at enhancing IL-12 production by immature bovine dendritic cells. Unexpectedly, ether analogue 2 was significantly more active than dipalmitoyl PIM2 (1) which indicates that modified PIM compounds can be strongly immunoactive and may have significant adjuvant activities.

Synthesis and structure of phosphatidylinositol dimannoside.

(R)-tuberculostearic acid (2) was synthesized in seven steps from (S)-citronellol (5). The carbon chain of 2 was assembled by copper-catalyzed cross coupling of (S)-citronellol tosylate (6) and hexylmagnesium bromide; subsequent ozonolysis and reaction with 6-benzyloxyhexylmagnesium bromide furnished alcohol 10. Functional group manipulation afforded (R)-2 in 49% overall yield from 5. DCC coupling of (R)-2 with 3-O-benzyl-1-O-palmitoyl-sn-glycerol (16), followed by hydrogenolytic removal of the benzyl group and treatment with benzyl bis(diisopropyl)phosphoramidite, afforded phosphoramidite 20. Tetrazole-mediated coupling of 20 with PIM1 head group 21 gave 22, and subsequent debenzylation afforded phosphatidylinositol mono-mannoside, PIM1 (23). Similarly, coupling of 20 and 24 and removal of the benzyl protecting groups gave PIM2 (1c). Both 23 and 1c have a clearly defined acylation pattern, which was confirmed by mass spectrometry, with sn-1 palmitoyl and sn-2 tuberculostearoyl groups on the glycerol moiety. Both 23 and 1c were shown to modulate the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-12, in a dendritic cell assay.