Temporin G, an amphibian antimicrobial peptide against influenza and parainfluenza respiratory viruses: Insights into biological activity and mechanism of action.

Treatment of respiratory viral infections remains a global health concern, mainly due to the inefficacy of available drugs. Therefore, the discovery of novel antiviral compounds is needed; in this context, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) like temporins hold great promise. Here, we discovered that the harmless temporin G (TG) significantly inhibited the early life-cycle phases of influenza virus. The in vitro hemagglutinating test revealed the existence of TG interaction with the viral hemagglutinin (HA) protein. Furthermore, the hemolysis inhibition assay and the molecular docking studies confirmed a TG/HA complex formation at the level of the conserved hydrophobic stem groove of HA. Remarkably, these findings highlight the ability of TG to block the conformational rearrangements of HA2 subunit, which are essential for the viral envelope fusion with intracellular endocytic vesicles, thereby neutralizing the virus entry into the host cell. In comparison, in the case of parainfluenza virus, which penetrates host cells upon a membrane-fusion process, addition of TG to infected cells provoked ~1.2 log reduction of viral titer released in the supernatant. Nevertheless, at the same condition, an immunofluorescent assay showed that the expression of viral hemagglutinin/neuraminidase protein was not significantly reduced. This suggested a peptide-mediated block of some late steps of viral replication and therefore the impairment of the extracellular release of viral particles. Overall, our results are the first demonstration of the ability of an AMP to interfere with the replication of respiratory viruses with a different mechanism of cell entry and will open a new avenue for the development of novel therapeutic approaches against a large variety of respiratory viruses, including the recent SARS-CoV2.

A Divalent PAMAM-Based Matrix Metalloproteinase/Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor for the Treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome.

Synthetic sulfonamide derivatives are a class of potent matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors (MMPI) that have potential for the treatment of diseases related to uncontrolled expression of these enzymes. The lack of selectivity of the large majority of such inhibitors, leading to the inhibition of MMPs in tissues other than the targeted one, has dramatically reduced the therapeutic interest in MMPIs. The recent development of efficient drug delivery systems that allow the transportation of a selected drug to its site of action has opened the way to new perspectives in the use of MMPIs. Here, a PAMAM-based divalent dendron with two sulfonamidic residues was synthesized. This nanomolar inhibitor binds to the catalytic domain of two MMPs as well as to the transmembrane human carbonic anhydrases (hCAs) XII, which is present in the eye and considered an antiglaucoma target. In the animal model of an experimental dry eye, no occurrence of dotted staining in eyes treated with our inhibitor was observed, indicating no symptoms of corneal desiccation.

New small molecules, ISA27 and SM13, inhibit tumour growth inducing mitochondrial effects of p53.

BACKGROUND: p53 is a transcription factor with tumour suppressor properties, which is able to induce mitochondrial apoptosis independently of its transcriptional activity. We recently synthesised two new compounds (ISA27 and SM13), which block p53-MDM2 interaction and induce apoptosis in p53 wild-type (WT) tumour cells. The aim of this study was to verify the effectiveness of these compounds in tumours carrying a mutated form of p53 gene with no transcriptional activity. METHODS: In vitro we evaluated the effectiveness of our compounds in cancer cell lines carrying WT, mutated and null p53 gene. In vivo study was performed in Balb/c nude mice and the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic signalling was evaluated by western blot. RESULTS: Both ISA27 and SM13 reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in vitro in cells carrying either p53 WT or mutated gene, suggesting that its effect is independent from p53 transcriptional activity. On the contrary, SM13 had no effect in a p53 null cell line. In vivo, ISA27 and SM13 induced cancer cell death in a dose-dependent manner through the activation of the mitochondrial-dependent death signalling in p53-mutated cells. In vivo, SM13 reduced tumour growth. CONCLUSIONS: Our study proposes SM13 as anticancer compound to use for the treatment of p53-dependent tumours, even in the absence of p53 transcriptional activity.

Inhibition of ocular aldose reductase by a new benzofuroxane derivative ameliorates rat endotoxic uveitis.

The study investigated the effects of the aldose reductase (AR) inhibitor benzofuroxane derivative 5(6)-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-ylmethoxy) benzofuroxane (herein referred to as BF-5m) on the biochemical and tissue alterations induced by endotoxic uveitis in rats. BF-5m has been administered directly into the vitreous, in order to assess the expression and levels of (i) inflammatory markers such as the ocular ubiquitin-proteasome system, NF-κB, TNF-α, and MCP-1; (ii) prooxidant and antioxidant markers such as nitrotyrosine, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX); (iii) apoptotic/antiapoptotic factors caspases and Bcl-xl; (iv) markers of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) recruitment such as CD34 and CD117. 5 µL of BF-5m (0.01; 0.05; and 0.1 µM) into the right eye decreased in a dose-dependent manner the LPS-induced inflammation of the eye, reporting a clinical score 1. It reduced the ocular levels of ubiquitin, 20S and 26S proteasome subunits, NF-κB subunits, TNF-α, MCP-1, and nitrotyrosine. BF-5m ameliorated LPS-induced decrease in levels of MnSOD and GPX. Antiapoptotic effects were seen from BF-5m by monitoring the expression of Bcl-xl, an antiapoptotic protein. Similarly, BF-5m increased recruitment of the EPCs within the eye, as evidenced by CD34 and CD117 antibodies.

Outstanding effects on antithrombin activity of modified TBA diastereomers containing an optically pure acyclic nucleotide analogue.

Herein, we report optically pure modified acyclic nucleosides as ideal probes for aptamer modification. These new monomers offer unique advantages in exploring the role played in thrombin inhibition by a single residue modification at key positions of the TBA structure.

Lower incidence of macrovascular complications in patients on insulin glargine versus those on basal human insulins: a population-based cohort study in Italy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the use of insulin glargine and intermediate/long-acting human insulin (HI) in relation to the incidence of complications in diabetic patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: A population-based cohort study was conducted using administrative data from four local health authorities in the Abruzzo Region (900,000 inhabitants). Diabetic patients without macrovascular diseases and treated with either intermediate/long-acting HI or glargine were followed for 3-years; the incidence of diabetic (macrovascular, microvascular and metabolic) complications was ascertained by hospital discharge claims and estimated using Cox proportional hazard models. Propensity score (PS) matching was also used to adjust for significant differences in the baseline characteristics between the two groups. RESULTS: Overall, 1921 diabetic patients were included: 744 intermediate/long-acting HI and 1177 glargine users. During the 3-year follow-up, 209 (28.1%) incident events of any diabetic complication occurred in the intermediate/long-acting HI and 159 (13.5%) in the glargine group. After adjustment for covariates, glargine users had an HR (95% CI) of 0.57 (0.44-0.74) for any diabetic complication and HRs of 0.61 (0.44-0.84), 0.58 (0.33-1.04) and 0.35 (0.18-0.70) for macrovascular, microvascular and metabolic complications, respectively, compared to intermediate/long-acting HI users. PS analyses supported these findings. CONCLUSIONS: The use of glargine is associated with a lower risk of macrovascular complications compared with traditional basal insulins. However, limitations inherent to the study design including the short length of observation and the lack of data on metabolic control or diabetes duration, do not allow us to consider this association as a proof of causality.

CDC25 phosphatase inhibitors: an update.

The cell division cycle 25 (CDC25) family of proteins is a group of highly conserved dual-specificity phosphatases. They are key regulators of normal cell division and the cell response to DNA damage, and play a fundamental role in transitions between cell cycle phases during normal cell division, via the activation of CdK/cyclin complexes. Their abnormal expression, detected in a number of tumors, often correlated with a poor clinical prognosis, implies that their dysregulation is involved in malignant transformation. Thus, inhibition of these proteins represents an attractive therapeutic target in oncology, as evidenced from many patents and papers published on the subject in recent years. Hence, this review aims to provide an overview of recent developments in the field of CDC25 phosphatase inhibitor design since 2008.

STAT-3 inhibitors: state of the art and new horizons for cancer treatment.

The signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) include a class of cytoplasmic signaling proteins whose role in the regulation of cell growth and survival is mediated by phosphorylation of a critical tyrosine residue within the STAT protein. This occurs in response to cytokines and growth factors modulating the expression of specific target genes. In particular, phosphorylation induces STAT:STAT dimer formation between two monomers, via reciprocal phosphoTyr (pTyr)-SH2 domain interactions. To date, seven members of the STAT family, all with different roles, have been identified in mammals. After dimerization, phosphorylated STATs enter the nucleus and, working co-ordinately with other transcriptional co-activators and transcription factors, induce increased transcriptional initiation. In healthy human and animal cells, ligand-dependent activation of STATs is a transient process, lasting for several minutes to several hours. In contrast, in many cancerous cell lines and tumors, where growth factor dysregulation is frequently at the heart of cellular transformation, the STAT proteins (in particular STAT1, 3 and 5) are persistently tyrosine-phosphorylated or activated; abnormal levels of STAT3 activation have been observed in breast, ovarian, prostate, hematological and head and neck cancer cell lines. Thus, in this review, we examine the most important classes of agents designed to disrupt STAT3 signaling, with particular regard to STAT3 dimerization inhibitors, which could play a significant role in the future of cancer and adjuvant cancer therapies.

Calmodulin-dependent kinase II mediates vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and is potentiated by extracellular signal regulated kinase.

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation contributes to vascular remodeling in atherosclerosis and hypertension. Calcium-dependent signaling through calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) and ERK1/2 activation plays an important role in the regulation of VSMC proliferation by agents such as alpha-adrenergic receptor agonists. Nevertheless, how the CaMKII and ERK pathways interact in VSMCs has yet to be characterized. The aim of the present study was to clarify this interaction in response to alpha(1)-adrenergic receptor-mediated VSMC proliferation. We discovered that phenylephrine stimulation resulted in complex formation between CaMKII and ERK in a manner that facilitated phosphorylation of both protein kinases. To assess the effects of CaMKII/ERK association on VSMC proliferation, we inhibited endogenous CaMKII either pharmacologically or by adenoviral-mediated gene transfer of a kinase-inactive CaMKII mutant. Inhibition of CaMKII activation but not CaMKII autonomous activity significantly decreased formation of the CaMKII/ERK complex. On the contrary, the expression of constitutively active CaMKII enhanced VSMC growth and CaMKII/ERK association. In addressing the mechanism of this effect, we found that CaMKII could not directly phosphorylate ERK but instead enhanced Raf1 activation. By contrast, ERK interaction with CaMKII facilitated CaMKII phosphorylation and promoted its nuclear localization. Our results reveal a critical role for CaMKII in VSMC proliferation and imply that CaMKII facilitates assembly of the Raf/MEK/ERK complex and that ERK enhances CaMKII activation and influences its subcellular localization.

Selective melanocortin MC4 receptor agonists reverse haemorrhagic shock and prevent multiple organ damage.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In circulatory shock, melanocortins have life-saving effects likely to be mediated by MC4 receptors. To gain direct insight into the role of melanocortin MC4 receptors in haemorrhagic shock, we investigated the effects of two novel selective MC4 receptor agonists. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Severe haemorrhagic shock was produced in rats under general anaesthesia. Rats were then treated with either the non-selective agonist [Nle4, D-Phe7]-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (NDP--MSH) or with the selective MC4 agonists RO27-3225 and PG-931. Cardiovascular and respiratory functions were continuously monitored for 2 h; survival rate was recorded up to 24 h. Free radicals in blood were measured using electron spin resonance spectrometry; tissue damage was evaluated histologically 25 min or 24 h after treatment. KEY RESULTS: All shocked rats treated with saline died within 30-35 min. Treatment with NDP--MSH, RO27-3225 and PG-931 produced a dose-dependent (13-108 nmol kg-1 i.v.) restoration of cardiovascular and respiratory functions, and improved survival. The three melanocortin agonists also markedly reduced circulating free radicals relative to saline-treated shocked rats. All these effects were prevented by i.p. pretreatment with the selective MC4 receptor antagonist HS024. Moreover, treatment with RO27-3225 prevented morphological and immunocytochemical changes in heart, lung, liver, and kidney, at both early (25 min) and late (24 h) intervals. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Stimulation of MC4 receptors reversed haemorrhagic shock, reduced multiple organ damage and improved survival. Our findings suggest that selective MC4 receptor agonists could have a protective role against multiple organ failure following circulatory shock.

Urotensin-II receptor antagonists.

Urotensin-II (U-II) is a "somatostatin-like" cyclic neuropeptide which was originally isolated from goby fish urophysis, and subsequently identified in other species, including man. The interest in human U-II (hU-II) has grown enormously in the last few years, following the identification of a specific human receptor (formerly identified as the GPR14/SENR orphan receptor), now referred to as UT receptor. The U-II/UT system seems to play an important role in cardiovascular functions. hU-II vasoconstrictive potency is reported to be an order of magnitude greater than that of endothelin-1 (ET-1), which would make it the most potent mammalian vasoconstrictor identified to date. hU-II also exerts potent inotropic effects in the human heart in vitro. On the basis of its spectrum of activities, hU-II has been suggested to modulate cardiovascular homeostasis and possibly to be involved in certain cardiovascular pathologies. Central nervous effects of U-II have also been described, in particular, intracerebroventricular administration promotes anxiogenic-like behaviors in rodents. Furthermore, UT receptor overexpression has been observed in some tumor cell lines. Therefore, specific and selective UT receptor antagonists provide useful tools for investigating the (patho)physiological role(s) of the U-II/UT receptor system. In this review we aim to provide an overview of the research in the area of UT receptor antagonists as well as the progress in understanding the role of the U-II/UT system in human (patho)physiology.

A novel route to synthesize Freidinger lactams by micowave irradiation.

The incorporation of a Freidinger-like lactam structure into the backbone of peptides has been proven to be an useful strategy in the design of a variety of conformationally restricted targets. Several different strategies have been developed toward Freidinger lactams but no one resulted to be completely facile. Here, we report an efficient strategy that involves the iodo-derivatives in side chain of an appropriate amino acid used as electrophilic agent, and the standard solid phase peptide synthesis assisted by microwave irradiation. The methodology developed could be useful to perform Freidinger-like lactams with defined stereochemistry for routine use in solid phase peptide chemistry.

Three-dimensional structure of the alpha-MSH-derived candidacidal peptide [Ac-CKPV]2.

Previous research has shown that the immunomodulatory peptide alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) and its carboxy-terminal tripeptide KPV (Lys-Pro-Val alpha-MSH11-13) have antimicrobial influences. By inserting a Cys-Cys linker between two units of KPV, we designed the dimer [Ac-CKPV]2 that showed excellent candidacidal effects in pilot tests and was the subject of further investigations. [Ac-CKPV]2 was active against azole-resistant Candida spp. Therefore, the molecule appeared a promising candidate for therapy of fungal infections and was the subject of a structural study. 1H-NMR and restrained mechanic and dynamic calculations suggest that the peptide adopts an extended backbone structure with a beta-turn-like structure. These results open a pathway to development of additional novel compounds that have candidacidal effects potentially useful against clinical infections.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of heteroaryl diketohexenoic and diketobutanoic acids as HIV-1 integrase inhibitors endowed with antiretroviral activity.

Highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) using reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease (PR) inhibitors and, more recently, inhibitors of the fusion is currently the best clinical approach in combating acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), caused by infection from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). However, this therapy does not completely eradicate the virus, so that resistant strains easily emerge. The above problem calls urgently for research on inhibitors of further viral targets such as integrase (IN), the third enzyme produced by HIV. Recently, our research group was engaged in studies on conformationally restrained cinnamoyl compounds related to curcumin as anti-IN agents. Compounds containing both a 3,4,5-trihydroxyphenyl group and a carboxylic acid function were potent IN inhibitors active against viral replication. More recently, a promising new class of inhibitors synthesized by Merck Company has emerged, which contain aryldiketoacid (ADK) functionality. The ADKs selectively inhibited the stand transfer (ST) step of integration and were proven to be effective IN inhibitors in vivo. Our interest in the field of IN inhibitors led us to design pyrrole and indole derivatives containing both a cinnamoyl moiety and a diketoacid group. A number of the cited derivatives were proven potent IN inhibitors, which selectively inhibited the ST step at submicromolar concentrations and were effective against virus replication in HIV-1 infected cells.

Recent structure-activity studies of the peptide hormone urotensin-II, a potent vasoconstrictor.

Human Urotensin-II is a potent vasoconstrictor and binds with high affinity to GPR14 receptor, recently cloned and renamed UT receptor. U-II vasoconstrictive potency is reported to be an order of magnitude greater than that of endothelin-1 (ET-1), which would make it the most potent mammalian vasoconstrictor identified to date. Urotensin-II is a neuropeptide "somatostatin-like" cyclic peptide, which was originally isolated from fish spinal cords, and which has recently been cloned from human. Human U-II is composed of only 11 amino acids residues, while fish and frog U-II possess 12 and 13 amino acids residues, respectively. The cyclic region of U-II, which is responsible for the biological activity of the peptide, has been fully conserved from fish to human. This review focuses on recent structure-activity relationships studies performed on Urotensin-II with the aim to provide the required structural elements to design new ligands as agonists and antagonists for UT receptor.

[1,2,4]Triazino[4,3-a]benzimidazole acetic acid derivatives: a new class of selective aldose reductase inhibitors.

Acetic acid derivatives of [1,2,4]triazino[4,3-a]benzimidazole (TBI) were synthesized and tested in vitro and in vivo as a novel class of aldose reductase (ALR2) inhibitors. Compound 3, (10-benzyl[1,2,4]triazino[4,3-a]benzimidazol-3,4(10H)-dion-2-yl)acetic acid, displayed the highest inhibitory activity (IC(50) = 0.36 microM) and was found to be effective in preventing cataract development in severely galactosemic rats when administered as an eyedrop solution. All the compounds investigated were selective for ALR2, since none of them inhibited appreciably aldehyde reductase, sorbitol dehydrogenase, or glutathione reductase. The activity of 3 was lowered by inserting various substituents on the pendant phenyl ring, by shifting the acetic acid moiety from the 2 to the 3 position of the TBI nucleus, or by cleaving the TBI system to yield benzimidazolylidenehydrazines as open-chain analogues. A three-dimensional model of human ALR2 was built, taking into account the conformational changes induced by the binding of inhibitors such as zopolrestat, to simulate the docking of 3 into the enzyme active site. The theoretical binding mode of 3 was fully consistent with the structure-activity relationships in the TBI series and will guide the design of novel ALR2 inhibitors.

Characterization of the 1H-cyclopentapyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione derivative (S)-CPW399 as a novel, potent, and subtype-selective AMPA receptor full agonist with partial desensitization properties.

(S)-CPW399 (2b) is a novel, potent, and subtype-selective AMPA receptor full agonist that, unlike (S)-willardiine and related compounds, in mouse cerebellar granule cells, stimulated an increase in [Ca(2+)](i), and induced neuronal cell death in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Compound 2b appears to be a weakly desensitizing, full agonist at AMPA receptors and therefore represents a new pharmacological tool to investigate the role of AMPA receptors in excitotoxicity and their molecular mechanisms of desensitization.

Quinoxalinylethylpyridylthioureas (QXPTs) as potent non-nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors. Further SAR studies and identification of a novel orally bioavailable hydrazine-based antiviral agent.

Quinoxalinylethylpyridylthioureas (QXPTs) represent a new class of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors (NNRTIs) whose prototype is 6-FQXPT (6). Docking studies based on the three-dimensional structure of RT prompted the synthesis of novel heteroarylethylpyridylthioureas which were tested as anti-HIV agents. Several compounds proved to be potent broad-spectrum enzyme inhibitors and significantly inhibited HIV-1 replication in vitro. Their potency depends on the substituents and the nature of the heterocyclic skeleton linked to the ethyl spacer, and structure-activity relationships are discussed in terms of the possible interaction with the RT binding site. Although the new QXPTs analogues show potent antiviral activity, none of the compounds tested overcome the pharmacokinetic disadvantages inherent to ethylpyridylthioureidic antiviral agents, which in general have very low oral bioavailability. Through an integrated effort involving synthesis, docking studies, and biological and pharmacokinetic evaluation, we investigated the structural dependence of the poor bioavailability and rapid clearance within the thioureidic series of antivirals. Replacing the ethylthioureidic moiety with a hydrazine linker led to a new antiviral lead, offering promising pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties in terms of antiviral activity and oral bioavailability.

3-Aryl[1,2,4]triazino[4,3-a]benzimidazol-4(10H)-ones: a new class of selective A1 adenosine receptor antagonists.

Radioligand binding assays using bovine cortical membrane preparations and biochemical in vitro studies revealed that various 3-aryl[1,2,4]triazino[4,3-a]benzimidazol-4(10H)-one (ATBI) derivatives, previously reported by us as ligands of the central benzodiazepine receptor (BzR) (Primofiore, G.; et al. J. Med. Chem. 2000, 43, 96-102), behaved as antagonists at the A1 adenosine receptor (A1AR). Alkylation of the nitrogen at position 10 of the triazinobenzimidazole nucleus conferred selectivity for the A1AR vs the BzR. The most potent ligand of the ATBI series (10-methyl-3-phenyl[1,2,4]triazino[4,3-a]benzimidazol-4(10H)-one 12) displayed a Ki value of 63 nM at the A1AR without binding appreciably to the adenosine A2A and A3 nor to the benzodiazepine receptor. Pharmacophore-based modeling studies in which 12 was compared against a set of well-established A1AR antagonists suggested that three hydrogen bonding sites (HB1 acceptor, HB2 and HB3 donors) and three lipophilic pockets (L1, L2, and L3) might be available to antagonists within the A1AR binding cleft. According to the proposed pharmacophore scheme, the lead compound 12 engages interactions with the HB2 site (via the N2 nitrogen) as well as with the L2 and L3 sites (through the pendant and the fused benzene rings). The results of these studies prompted the replacement of the methyl with more lipophilic groups at the 10-position (to fill the putative L1 lipophilic pocket) as a strategy to improve A1AR affinity. Among the new compounds synthesized and tested, the 3,10-diphenyl[1,2,4]triazino[4,3-a]benzimidazol-4(10H)-one (23) was characterized by a Ki value of 18 nM which represents a 3.5-fold gain of A1AR affinity compared with the lead 12. A rhodopsin-based model of the bovine adenosine A1AR was built to highlight the binding mode of 23 and two well-known A1AR antagonists (III and VII) and to guide future lead optimization projects. In our docking simulations, 23 receives a hydrogen bond (via the N1 nitrogen) from the side chain of Asn247 (corresponding to the HB1 and HB2 sites) and fills the L1, L2, and L3 lipophilic pockets with the 10-phenyl, 3-phenyl, and fused benzene rings, respectively.