O-prenylated carbostyrils as a novel class of 15-lipoxygenase inhibitors: Synthesis, characterization, and inhibitory assessment.

Catalyzed peroxidation of unsaturated lipid in animals and plants intimately is linked to the activity of 15-Lipoxygenase enzymes. Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are well known to play an important role in many acute and chronic syndromes such as inflammation, asthma, cancer, and allergy. In this study, a series of mono prenyloxycarbostyrils were synthesized and evaluated as potential inhibitors of soybean 15-Lipoxygenase (SLO) and their inhibitory potencies were compared to mono prenyloxycoumarins which had been reported in the previous works. The synthetic compounds inhibit lipoxygenase enzyme by competitive mechanism like the prenyloxy coumarins. The results showed that position and length of the prenyl moiety play the important role in lipoxygenase inhibitory activity. Among all of the synthetic compounds (coumarin and carbostyril derivatives), 5-farnesyloxycoumarin and 8-farnesyloxycarbostyril demonstrated the best inhibitory activity by IC50  values of 1.1 µM and 0.53 µM, respectively.

Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant Activity, and Cytotoxicity Assessment of Tagetes erecta L. Flowers.

Tagetes erecta L. is a popular ornamental plant of the Asteraceae family, which is widely cultivated not only for its decorative use, but also for the extraction of lutein. Besides carotenoid representatives, which have been extensively studied, other important classes of secondary metabolites present in the plant, such as polyphenols, could exhibit important biological activities. The phytochemical analysis of a methanolic extract obtained from T. erecta inflorescences was achieved using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques. The extract was further subjected to a multistep purification process, which allowed the separation of different fractions. The total extract and its fractions contain several polyphenolic compounds, such as hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, flavonols (especially quercetagetin glycosides), and several aglycons (e.g., quercetin, patuletin). One of the fractions, containing mostly quercetagitrin, was subjected to two different antioxidant assays (metal chelating activity and lipoxygenase inhibition) and to in vitro cytotoxicity assessment. Generally, the biological assays showed promising results for the investigated fraction compared to the initial extract. Given the encouraging outcome of the in vitro assays, further purification and structural analysis of compounds from T. erecta extracts, as well as further in vivo investigations are justified.

Botanical Therapeutics: Phytochemical Screening and Biological Assessment of Chamomile, Parsley and Celery Extracts against A375 Human Melanoma and Dendritic Cells.

Chamomile, parsley, and celery represent major botanical sources of apigenin, a well-known flavone with chemopreventive properties. The aim of this study was to assess the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory potential of methanol extracts obtained from chamomile, parsley, and celery collected from Romania, as well as the biological activity against A375 human melanoma and human dendritic cells. Results have shown that all three extracts are rich in polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids, and they generate a radical scavenger capacity, iron chelation potential, as well as lipoxygenase inhibition capacity. Chamomile and celery extracts present weak antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic properties in the set experimental conditions, while parsley extract draws out significant pro-apoptotic potential against A375 human melanoma cells. Parsley and chamomile extracts affected the fibroblast-like morphology of the screened tumor cell line. On the other hand, chamomile and celery extracts abrogated the expansion of LPS-activated dendritic cells, while the metabolic activity was attenuated by stimulation with celery extract; chamomile and parsley extracts had no effect upon this parameter. Chamomile and parsley extracts incubation with naive dendritic cells did not trigger cytokine secretion (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10), but celery extract stimulation significantly reduced the anti-inflammatory, cytokine IL-10.

Easy and rapid preparation of benzoylhydrazides and their diazene derivatives as inhibitors of 15-lipoxygenase.

Two series of diaza derivatives were prepared by solvent-free condensation of benzoic acid and 4-substituted phenylhydrazines in order to obtain phenylhydrazides (HYD series) and, by oxidation of these compounds, the corresponding benzoyldiazenes (DIA series). Both sets were evaluated as inhibitors of soybean 15-lipoxygenase activity and antioxidant capability in the FRAP and CUPRAC assays. The most potent inhibitors of both series exhibited IC50 values in the low micromolar range. Kinetic studies showed that at least the more active compounds were competitive inhibitors. Docking results indicated that the most potent inhibitor interacts strongly with Ile-839 and iron in the active site.

Comparative safety and costs of stepping down asthma medications in patients with controlled asthma.

BACKGROUND: Limited data exist regarding outcomes after stepping down asthma medication. OBJECTIVE: We sought to compare the safety and costs of stepping down asthma controller medications with maintaining current treatment levels in patients with controlled asthma. METHODS: Patients with persistent asthma were identified from the US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey years 2000-2010. Each patient had Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data for 2 years, and measurement was divided into 5 periods of 4 to 5 months each. Eligibility for stepping down asthma controller medications included no hospitalizations or emergency department visits for asthma in periods 1 to 3 and no systemic corticosteroid and 3 or less rescue inhalers dispensed in periods 2 and 3. Steps were defined by type and dose of chronic asthma medication based on current guidelines when comparing period 4 with period 3. The primary outcome of complete asthma control in period 5 was defined as no asthma hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and dispensed systemic corticosteroids and 2 or fewer dispensed rescue inhalers. Multivariable analyses were conducted to assess safety and costs after step down compared with those who maintained the treatment level. RESULTS: Overall, 29.9% of patients meeting the inclusion criteria (n = 4235) were eligible for step down; 89.4% (95% CI, 86.4% to 92.4%) of those who stepped down had preserved asthma control compared with 83.5% (95% CI, 79.9% to 87.0%) of those who were similarly eligible for step down but maintained their treatment level. The average monthly asthma-related cost savings was $34.02/mo (95% CI, $5.42/mo to $61.24/mo) with step down compared with maintenance of the treatment level. CONCLUSION: Stepping down asthma medications in those whose symptoms were controlled led to similar clinical outcomes at reduced cost compared with those who maintained their current treatment level.

In vitro assessment of antioxidant activity of tyrosol, resveratrol and their acetylated derivatives.

Consumption of phenolic compounds is associated with beneficial effects in humans even though many of them are poorly absorbed. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro antioxidant activity of tyrosol (T), resveratrol (R) and their acetylated derivatives (AcD), as increased lipophilicity has been reported to improve absorption. The chemically synthesized AcDs were evaluated by their ability to scavenge DPPH radicals, inhibit non-enzymatic linoleic acid peroxidation, inhibit human serum oxidation in the presence of copper ions and inhibit lipoxygenase activity. T showed an inhibitory effect only in serum oxidation, where the T-acetylated at aromatic-OH was the most active. The T-acetylated at aliphatic-OH and 3,5-diacetyl-R exhibited the most powerful effect in non-enzymatic linoleic acid peroxidation with IC50 values 2.4 mM ± 0.21 and 0.055 mM ± 0.0018, respectively. In all other tests R was the most potent among all its AcD and T. Increasing lipophilicity by acetylation improves antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds in non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation assays.

Development of a new colorimetric assay for lipoxygenase activity.

Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are a family of non-heme iron-containing dioxygenases that catalyze the hydroperoxidation of lipids, containing a cis,cis-1,4-pentadiene structure. A rapid and reliable colorimetric assay for determination of the activity of three human functional lipoxygenase isoforms (5-lipoxygenase, platelet 12-lipoxygenase, and 15-lipoxygenase-1) is developed in this article. In the new assay, LOX-derived lipid hydroperoxides oxidize the ferrous ion (Fe²âº) to the ferric ion (Fe³âº), the latter of which binds with thiocyanate (SCN⁻) to generate a red ferrithiocyanate (FTC) complex. The absorbance of the FTC complex can be easily measured at 480 nm. Because 5-LOX can be stimulated by many cofactors, the effects of its cofactors (Ca²âº, ATP, dithiothreitol, glutathione, L-α-phosphatidylcholine, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) on the color development of the FTC complex are also determined. The assay is adaptive for purified LOXs and cell lysates containing active LOXs. We use the new colorimetric assay in a 96-well format to evaluate several well-known LOX inhibitors, the IC50 values of which are in good agreement with previously reported data. The reliability and reproducibility of the assay make it useful for in vitro screening for inhibitors of LOXs and, therefore, should accelerate drug discovery for clinical application.

Antioxidant, antimicrobial, 15-LOX, and AGEs inhibitions by pineapple stem waste.

UNLABELLED: Pineapple stem has been extensively used for bromelain extraction; however, almost no attention has been given to the waste obtained during bromelain manufacturing. In this regard, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and inhibitions against 15-lipoxygenase and advanced glycation end product formations by pineapple stem waste (PSW) obtained during bromelain manufacturing process were studied. The PSW had moderate bioactivities in all the performed assays. It also showed a considerable inhibition against fungal growth, probably due to high amounts of the benzoic acid present in the sample. These results indicate that PSW could be utilized as an economic source of preventive or therapeutic agent in disease and in different functional food industries. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: A large amount of wastes are generated during bromelain manufacturing from pineapple stem. So far, these wastes are not utilized and are often considered as a burden while disposing them. However, we found some important phytochemicals with considerable bioactivities in these wastes. We believe that these wastes may have a promising usage as a cheap source of one of the ingredients in functional food based industries.

Assessment of enzyme inhibitory and antioxidant activities of lignans from Taxus baccata L.

Phytochemical investigations of Taxus baccata L. by successive chromatographic methods resulted in the isolation of the lignans lariciresinol (1), taxiresinol (2), 3'-demethylisolariciresinol-9'-hydroxyisopropylether (3), isolariciresinol (4), and 3-demethylisolariciresinol (5) as well as taxoids. Compounds 1-5 were evaluated for their acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitory activities, which play a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), by in vitro spectrophotometric methods, while they were also screened for their antioxidant capacity in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, ferrous ion-chelating effect, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) at 125, 250, 500, and 1000 microg ml(-1). All compounds exhibited a moderate inhibition against both BChE and LOX, whereas they were inactive towards AChE. The compounds displayed a great scavenging activity against DPPH especially at 500 and 1000 microg ml(-1). Besides, they were found to exert noteworthy reducing antioxidant power on ferric ions. In particular, the FRAP of compounds 2 (3.552 +/- 0.02), 4 (3.021 +/- 0.71), and 5 (3.533 +/- 0.01) were as high as that of the reference chlorogenic acid (3.618 +/- 0.01) at 1000 microg ml(-1). None of the compounds exhibited chelating ability against ferrous ions.

Advancing stroke therapeutics through genetic understanding.

Stroke is a complex neurological disorder that most likely results from an intricate interplay between lifestyle, environment and genetics. Genes can influence susceptibility to stroke, alter responses to pharmacotherapy, and affect disease outcome. Recently, common variations within the PDE4D and ALOX5AP genes have been identified that increase population-attributable risk of stroke in Iceland. These genes are yet to be unequivocally confirmed and the functional variants identified. Characterizing the genetic profile of individuals at highest risk of stroke will permit more targeted pharmacological approaches to early primary and secondary stroke prevention. Pharmacogenomics is likely to be particularly important for stroke prevention because of the narrow therapeutic index for treatments like warfarin that prevents thrombosis but also promotes hemorrhage. Identifying possible genetic determinants of outcome will also open new avenues of research into stroke therapeutics beyond thrombolysis.

Stereochemical determination and bioactivity assessment of (S)-(+)-curcuphenol dimers isolated from the marine sponge Didiscus aceratus and synthesized through laccase biocatalysis.

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry-guided isolation of extracts from Didiscus aceratus led to the discovery of several new derivatives of the bioactive bisabolene-type sponge metabolite (S)-(+)-curcuphenol (1). The compounds obtained by this method included a mixture of known (2) and new (3) dihydroxylated analogs as well as a novel family of dimeric derivatives, dicurcuphenols A-E (4-8), and dicurcuphenol ether F (9). Dimers 4-9 were also subsequently obtained through a hemisynthetic method in which 1 was incubated with the enzyme laccase. Atropisomeric dimers 5 and 6 were subjected to vibrational circular dichroism analysis thereby establishing their absolute biaryl axial chirality as P and M, respectively. In contrast to 1, metabolites 2-9 exhibited weak or no cytotoxic or lipoxygenase inhibitory effects.

Safety and clinical efficacy of zileuton in patients with chronic asthma.

Zileuton, a leukotriene pathway inhibitor used to treat asthma, improves lung function, relieves symptoms, and is well tolerated. The purpose of this 12-month, parallel-group, open-label study was to assess the efficacy of zileuton and evaluate liver function in patients treated with this drug (approximately 2% of patients treated with zileuton in controlled trials had reversible liver enzyme elevations). A total of 2,947 patients at 233 centers in the United States were randomly assigned in a 5:1 ratio to treatment with zileuton plus usual asthma care or usual asthma care alone. Efficacy variables included asthma exacerbations; need for alternative treatment, steroid rescue, emergency care, and hospitalizations; forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1); and asthma symptom scores. The safety evaluation included measurement of alanine aminotransferase levels. Patients treated with zileuton had significantly fewer corticosteroid rescues (P < 0.001), required less emergency care (P < 0.05), had fewer hospitalizations, and had greater increases in FEV1 (P = 0.048). They also had significantly greater improvements in asthma symptoms. Increases in alanine aminotransferase levels to three times or more the upper limit of normal occurred in 4.6% of patients treated with zileuton and 1.1% of those receiving usual care (P < 0.001); most increases occurred during the first 2 to 3 months. Alanine aminotransferase levels decreased to less than two times the upper limit of normal or to baseline levels during zileuton treatment or after drug cessation. Jaundice or chronic liver disease did not develop in any patient. Adding zileuton to the therapeutic regimens of patients with asthma is likely to improve asthma control and lower utilization of healthcare resources.

[The use of leukotriene receptor antagonists and 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors in bronchial asthma treatment]. / Zastosowanie antagonistów receptorów leukotrienów i inhibitorów 5-lipoksygenazy w leczeniu astmy oskrzelowej.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of airways. It is characterised by bronchoconstriction, oedema and airways mucus hypersecretion. The main clinical features of asthma are dyspnea, cough, wheezing and heaviness in the chest. The pathology of asthma is characterised by presence of many inflammatory mediators, where the most important are cysteinyl leukotriens. Leukotriens C4, D4 and E4 are 1000 times more potent than histamine in contracting airways smooth muscles. Inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism have been used in asthma treatment. They can block the 5-lipoxygenase enzyme and/or 5-lipoxygenase-activating-proteine (FLAP), or can block the cysteinyl leukotriene receptors on the cell surface. Many inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism have been found during experimental trials. But only two are used as a drugs: zafirlukast and montelukast (leukotriene receptor inhibitors) montelukast and zileuton (5-lipoxygenase inhibitors) having the best efficacy in asthma treatment. Chronic treatment with these drugs results in a decrease of asthmatic symptoms, improvement of lung function (FEV1, PEF) and decreased usage of other medications--beta-adrenergic agonists and inhaled steroids. It has been proved that zafirlukast and zileuton show the high efficacy in mild-to-moderate asthma, exercise-induced asthma, allergen-induced asthma and aspirin-induced asthma. These oral drugs have been shown to course only mild adverse effects (such as temporary elevation in liver function tests, gastrointestinel disturbances, headache). Clinical usage of zafirlukast, montelukast and zileuton is limited in our country, they are hardly approachable on the market and the cost of treatment is high.

Randomized trial of zileuton in patients with moderate asthma: effect of reduced dosing frequency and amounts on pulmonary function and asthma symptoms. Zileuton Study Group.

This 6-month, randomized, multicenter study was designed to determine whether patients who had been treated with the leukotriene pathway inhibitor zileuton 600 mg four times daily (QID) for 2 months could be maintained at the same level of pulmonary function, symptom control, and beta-agonist use with less frequent dosing--first 600 or 800 mg three times daily (TID) and then twice daily (BID). A total of 278 patients with chronic asthma, ages 16 to 70, participated at 25 US centers. All had a 1-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1) of 35%-75%, reversible airway disease, and a nonsmoking history of 1 year. An 8-week open-label period (zileuton 600 mg QID) was followed by a 16-week double-blind period, in which patients who responded to the QID treatment were randomized to receive zileuton 600 or 800 mg TID for 8 weeks and then rerandomized to receive zileuton 600 or 800 mg BID for another 8 weeks. Primary outcomes were FEV1 and asthma symptom scores; secondary outcomes were peak expiratory flow rate, beta-agonist use, and asthma exacerbations requiring steroid rescue. Patients who showed improvements in lung function when treated with zileuton 600 mg QID demonstrated minimal decreases in FEV1 and comparable peak expiratory flow rates, symptom control, beta-agonist use, and systemic corticosteroid rescue when being treated with lower doses and/or less frequent doses of zileuton. Patients who demonstrate improved asthma control with zileuton 600 mg QID may be able to reduce their daily dosage and/or frequency while still maintaining the same level of symptom control.

Assessment of the pharmacokinetic interaction between zileuton and digoxin in humans.

The effects of coadministration of zileuton on the pharmacokinetic profile of digoxin were investigated in a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study in 12 healthy male volunteers. During each study phase, the subjects received zileuton 600mg every 6 hours (regimen A) or placebo (regimen B) for 13 days. In addition, all subjects received concomitant digoxin 0.25 mg/day on study days 1 to 11 during both study phases. The study results provide no evidence of any significant overall effect of zileuton on digoxin plasma concentration-time profiles. Although the mean time to reach the maximum plasma concentration for digoxin was significantly shorter after concomitant administration of digoxin and zileuton than after concomitant administration of digoxin and placebo (0.95 vs 1.43 hours), there were no significant differences between the 2 regimens in the values for maximum plasma concentration, area under the plasma concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 hours, elimination half-life, oral clearance, and apparent volume of distribution associated with the terminal phase. Therefore, it is concluded that digoxin and zileuton may be coadministered without risk of clinically relevant effects on the pharmacokinetic profile of digoxin.

Assessment of the in vivo biochemical efficacy of orally active leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors.

In man, the therapeutic effectiveness of specific inhibitors of leukotriene (LT) biosynthesis against allergen-induced bronchoconstriction appears to be related to the in vivo biochemical efficacy of these compounds, as measured by inhibition of whole blood LTB4 generation (upon A23187 stimulus) and, particularly, urinary LTE4 excretion. Accordingly, we have assessed the ability of two clinically documented LT biosynthesis inhibitors, zileuton and MK-886, and the structurally novel 5-lipoxygenase activating protein antagonist, MK-0591, to inhibit the production of these inflammatory arachidonic acid metabolites in laboratory dogs. Zileuton (2 mg/kg) was extremely bioavailable in dogs (> 10 microM plasma concentrations), and inhibited the A23187-induced ex vivo production of LTB4 by venous blood by > 90%, in concordance with its potency in canine blood in vitro (IC50 = 1.1 microM). Despite this degree of inhibition in whole blood, urinary LTE4 excretion was reduced by only 52%, a profile of activity similar to that seen in clinical studies. MK-886 was less well absorbed, with plasma concentrations of 3 microM being achieved only at 25 mg/kg. These levels resulted in < 45% inhibition of LTB4 production, but a significant (p < 0.05) 47% inhibition of urinary LTE4 excretion. MK-0591 was similarly bioavailable (compared with MK-886), but 10-fold more active in vivo as a 2 mg/kg dose resulted in 41-62% inhibition of urinary LTE4 excretion (p < 0.05 vs controls; n = 4, 28). Significant inhibition of ex vivo LTB4 synthesis was also observed at this dose (49%), in accord with peak plasma concentrations of 0.5 microM and an in vitro potency of 0.2-0.4 microM (IC50) in whole blood from these animals. At higher dose (10 mg/kg), MK-0591 inhibited LTE4 excretion by 69%, with 88% inhibition of the LT biosynthetic capacity of whole blood. These data demonstrate that the biochemical efficacy of structurally diverse leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors can be assessed in vivo in normal laboratory dogs. Such measurements, combined with bioavailability data from other species, may be useful for predicting biochemical activity in man.

Assessment of 5-lipoxygenase involvement in human monocyte-mediated LDL oxidation.

Lipoxygenase (LO) activity has been implicated in the process by which activated human monocytes oxidize normal human low density lipoprotein (LDL) and render it toxic to target cells. Here we examined the role of 5-LO in activated monocyte-mediated LDL modification. Five putative inhibitors of 5-LO (A63162, CGS8515, PF5901, RG6866, and MK886) were used to determine if they prevented activated monocytes from oxidizing LDL. Only RG6866, A63162, and CGS8515 inhibited monocyte-mediated LDL oxidation. Nonspecific effects of these drugs on LDL oxidation by activated monocytes were examined. RG6866 and A63162 were both found to be general antioxidants at their effective concentrations. CGS8515 was toxic at its effective concentration. A63162, CGS8515, and RG6866 also inhibited 15-LO activity in vitro. MK886 and PF5901 did not exhibit the nonspecific effects above and did not inhibit monocyte-mediated LDL oxidation, whereas both MK886 and PF5901 inhibited production of 5-LO metabolites by activated monocytes at concentrations that had no effect on LDL oxidation by the activated monocytes. Since neither of these agents inhibited LDL oxidation, we conclude that 5-LO is not involved in human monocyte oxidation of LDL. The possibility that a cellular 12- or 15-LO is involved in human monocyte-mediated LDL oxidation remains to be evaluated.

Guinea pig whole blood 5-lipoxygenase assay: utility in the assessment of potential 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors.

Guinea pigs are widely used in the study of the role of leukotrienes in airway pathophysiology. Extensive research efforts have utilized this species in the development of potential therapeutic agents associated with inhibition of leukotriene production (e.g. 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors and 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein antagonists) for the treatment of acute bronchospasm in asthma. We now report, for the first time, an ex vivo whole blood 5-lipoxygenase assay in guinea pigs which should prove useful in the future development of leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors. Addition of 150 microM arachidonic acid (AA) to heparinized whole blood for 5 min prior to the stimulation with 20 micrograms/mL A23187 resulted in a 10-fold increase in leukotriene B4 (LTB4; 11.36 +/- 1.55 ng/mL) above basal (0.96 +/- 0.29 ng/mL) within 10 min. To further validate the utility of the assay, we utilized the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor BW A4C. Pretreatment of guinea pig whole blood with BW A4C in vitro prior to stimulation resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of LTB4 production (IC50 = 229 nM), whereas thromboxane B2 (TXB2) production was unaffected. Likewise, when BW A4C was administered to guinea pigs intravenously (3 mg/kg), we observed a rapid and marked (approximately 90%) reduction in whole blood LTB4 production which returned to control (pre-drug values) by 5 hr. In contrast, TXB2 production was unaffected over the same experimental time period. In summary, we have described a whole blood assay which can discriminate 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, this assay system will be of use in determining the potency, efficacy, selectivity, and pharmacodynamic properties of 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors in guinea pigs.

A method for the comparative assessment of antioxidants as peroxyl radical scavengers.

Antioxidants which are peroxyl radical scavengers have been compared in a model of lipid peroxidation based on the oxidation of a suspension of linoleic acid initiated by a thermolabile azo compound. By analysing the effect of antioxidant concentration on linoleic acid peroxidation we have defined the constant kAH which characterises the rate of the reaction of the antioxidant with the peroxyl radical. This allows quantitative comparison of the efficiency of different antioxidants as peroxyl radical scavengers. By using an initiation system which is not iron dependent we were able to show that the iron chelators desferrioxamine, BW A4C and U74500A are also peroxyl radical scavengers.

Selective inhibition of arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase by novel acetohydroxamic acids: biochemical assessment in vitro and ex vivo.

1. The chemically novel acetohydroxamic acids, BW A4C, BW A137C and BW A797C, are potent inhibitors of the synthesis of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) from arachidonic acid by human leucocyte homogenates: the concentrations required for 50% inhibition (IC50) were 0.1 microM, 0.8 microM and 0.5 microM respectively. Inhibition was less at higher concentrations of arachidonic acid. 2. These compounds also inhibited the synthesis of [14C]-5-HETE from [14C]-arachidonic acid and the calcium-dependent synthesis of LTB4 from 5-HPETE. This, therefore, suggests that they inhibit 5-lipoxygenase and LTA4 synthase. 3. Concentrations of acetohydroxamic acids required to inhibit metabolism of arachidonic acid by cyclo-oxygenase, 12-lipoxygenase and 15-lipoxygenase were 10 to 100 times higher than those required to inhibit 5-lipoxygenase. 4. The compounds were potent inhibitors of LTB4 synthesis induced by the ionophore, A23187, in human intact leucocytes. This inhibition was reversed by washing the cells. They were also potent, selective inhibitors of LTB4 synthesis induced by A23187 in whole rat blood: binding to rat plasma proteins did not greatly reduce the effectiveness of the compounds. 5. The effects of the acetohydroxamic acids, administered either intravenously or orally to rats, on the synthesis of LTB4, and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) in A23187-stimulated blood ex vivo was studied. The three compounds caused dose-dependent inhibition of the synthesis of LTB4 but not TXB2. Inhibition of LTB4 synthesis persisted for up to 6 h after a single oral dose of 50 mg kg-1. 6. The plasma concentrations of unchanged compound determined by h.p.l.c. correlated with the inhibition of LTB4 synthesis ex vivo.