The PDE4 inhibitor CHF6001 affects keratinocyte proliferation via cellular redox pathways.

Psoriasis is a skin disease characterized by abnormal keratinocyte proliferation and inflammation. Currently, there are no cures for this disease, so the goal of treatment is to decrease inflammation and slow down the associated rapid cell growth and shedding. Recent advances have led to the usage of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors for treatment of this condition. For example, apremilast is an oral, selective PDE4 inhibitor that is able to reduce skin inflammation and is Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved to treat adults with moderate to severe psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis. However, common target-related adverse events, including diarrhea, nausea, headache, and insomnia limit the usage of this drug. To circumvent these effects, the usage of PDE4 inhibitors specifically designed for topical treatment, such as CHF6001, may combine local anti-inflammatory activity with limited systemic exposure, improving tolerability. In this study, we showed that CHF6001, currently undergoing clinical development for COPD, suppresses human keratinocyte proliferation as assessed via BrdU incorporation. We also observed decreased re-epithelialization in a scratch-wound model after CHF6001 treatment. At the molecular level, CHF6001 inhibited translocation of phosphorylated NF-κB subunit p65, promoting loss of nuclear cyclin D1 accumulation and an increase of cell cycle inhibitor p21. Furthermore, CHF6001 decreased oxidative stress, measured by assessing lipid peroxidation (4-HNE adduct formation), through the inactivation of the NADPH oxidase. These results suggest that CHF6001 has the potential to treat skin disorders associated with hyperproliferative keratinocytes, such as psoriasis by targeting oxidative stress, abnormal re-epithelization, and inflammation.

Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Antiangiogenic Activity of Polyfluorinated Benzamides.

The introduction of fluorine into bioactive molecules is a matter of importance in medicinal chemistry. In this study, representatives of various chemical entities of fluoroaromatic compounds were synthesized. Depending on the reaction conditions, either tetrafluorophthalimides or ammonium tetrafluorophthalamates are accessible from tetrafluorophthalic anhydride and primary amines. Tetrafluorophthalamic acids undergo thermal decarboxylation to yield tetrafluorobenzamides. These could be successfully converted upon treatment with primary amines, in the course of an aromatic nucleophilic substitution, to 2,3,5-trifluorobenzamides with respective amino substituents at the 4-position. The five structure types were characterized by means of spectroscopic and crystallographic methods. The synthesized compounds were evaluated as inhibitors of angiogenesis by measuring microvessel outgrowth in a rat aortic ring assay. The biological activity was maintained throughout these different polyfluorinated chemotypes.

Mutagenicity and DNA-damaging potential of clenbuterol and its metabolite 4-amino-3,5-dichlorobenzoic acid in vitro.

The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro toxicity of clenbuterol and its metabolite 4-amino-3,5-dichlorobenzoic acid. Cytotoxicity and pro-oxidative effect of both compounds were studied on human colon adenocarcinoma cell line SW 480. No significant cytotoxic effect of either compound was observed. Results of an Ames test on Salmonella typhimurium did not indicate mutagenic activity of clenbuterol on TA 98 and TA 100 strains, regardless of metabolic activation. Potential mutagenic effects of the highest clenbuterol concentration (2500 ng/ml) were observed on the TA 1535 strain. The obtained results of alkaline comet assay on isolated human lymphocytes suggested that both compounds induced an increase of primary DNA damage in a concentration-dependent manner. 4-ADBA was a slightly more potent inducer of primary DNA damage as compared to clenbuterol. Chromosomal aberration analysis showed that clenbuterol caused a statistically significant increase in the total number of aberrant cells only at the highest concentration tested (3% vs. 0.7% in the negative control). The results of this study might represent a solid frame for designing and planning future studies with both compounds, which should further clarify their mechanisms of action and genotoxic/cytogenetic effects relevant for human risk assessment.