Relationships between carcinogenicity and theoretical reactivity indices in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Theoretical reactivity indices have been used to examine the metabolic reactions presumed, on the basis of recent biochemical evidence, to be responsible for the transformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon precarcinogens to ultimate carcinogens. Of a large number of indices examined, several show strong correlations with carcinogenic activity in a set of 25 representative compounds. The results support the belief that specific transformations involving dihydrodiol, "bay-region" epoxide, and carbonium ion intermediates are responsible for the carcinogenic activity of these compounds. Additional implications of the results are discussed, including the suggestion that this type of analysis might provide a rapid and simple means for prescreening compounds for potential carcinogens.

Activation of PPARdelta alters lipid metabolism in db/db mice.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear receptors, which heterodimerize with the retinoid X receptor and bind to peroxisome proliferator response elements in the promoters of regulated genes. Despite the wealth of information available on the function of PPARalpha and PPARgamma, relatively little is known about the most widely expressed PPAR subtype, PPARdelta. Here we show that treatment of insulin resistant db/db mice with the PPARdelta agonist L-165041, at doses that had no effect on either glucose or triglycerides, raised total plasma cholesterol concentrations. The increased cholesterol was primarily associated with high density lipoprotein (HDL) particles, as shown by fast protein liquid chromatography analysis. These data were corroborated by the chemical analysis of the lipoproteins isolated by ultracentrifugation, demonstrating that treatment with L-165041 produced an increase in circulating HDL without major changes in very low or low density lipoproteins. White adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity was reduced following treatment with the PPARdelta ligand, but was increased by a PPARgamma agonist. These data suggest both that PPARdelta is involved in the regulation of cholesterol metabolism in db/db mice and that PPARdelta ligands could potentially have therapeutic value.

Structure-activity relationships of C1 and C6 side chains of zaragozic acid A derivatives.

Systematic modification of the C6 acyl side chain of zaragozic acid A, a potent squalene synthase inhibitor, was undertaken to improve its biological activity. Simplification of the C6 side chain to the octanoyl ester has deleterious effects; increasing the linear chain length improves the in vitro activity up to the tetradecanoyl ester. An omega-phenoxy group is a better activity enhancer than an omega-phenyl group. A number of C6 carbamates, ethers, and carbonates were prepared and found to have similar activity profiles as the C6 esters. In the preparation of C6 ethers, C4 and C4,6 bisethers were also isolated; their relative activity is: C6 > C4 > C4,6. These C6 long-chain derivatives are subnanomolar squalene synthase inhibitors; they are, however, only weakly active in inhibiting hepatic cholesterol synthesis in mice. The C6 short-chain derivatives are much less active in vitro, but they all have improved oral activity in mice. Modification of the C1 alkyl side chain of the n-butanoyl analogue (ED50 4.5 mg/kg) did not improve the po activity further. A number of these C6 long-chain derivatives are also potent antifungal agents in vitro.

Selective protection and relative importance of the carboxylic acid groups of zaragozic acid A for squalene synthase inhibition.

Chemistry that allows selective modification of the carboxylic acid groups of the squalene synthase inhibitor zaragozic acid A (1) was developed and applied to the synthesis of compounds modified at the 3-,4-,5-,3,4-,3,5-, and 4,5-positions. A key step in this procedure is the selective debenzylation by transfer hydrogenolysis in the presence of other olefinic groups. These compounds were tested in the rat squalene synthase assay and in vivo mouse model. Modification at C3 retains significant enzyme potency and enhances oral activity, indicating that C3 is not essential for squalene synthase activity. Modification at C4 and C5 results in significant loss in enzyme activity. In contrast, substitution at C3 or C4 enhances in vivo activity. Furthermore, disubstitution at the C3 and C4 positions results in additive in vivo potency.

Novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma and PPARdelta ligands produce distinct biological effects.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) include three receptor subtypes encoded by separate genes: PPARalpha, PPARdelta, and PPARgamma. PPARgamma has been implicated as a mediator of adipocyte differentiation and the mechanism by which thiazolidinedione drugs exert in vivo insulin sensitization. Here we characterized novel, non-thiazolidinedione agonists for PPARgamma and PPARdelta that were identified by radioligand binding assays. In transient transactivation assays these ligands were agonists of the receptors to which they bind. Protease protection studies showed that ligand binding produced specific alterations in receptor conformation. Both PPARgamma and PPARdelta directly interacted with a nuclear receptor co-activator (CREB-binding protein) in an agonist-dependent manner. Only the PPARgamma agonists were able to promote differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. In diabetic db/db mice all PPARgamma agonists were orally active insulin-sensitizing agents producing reductions of elevated plasma glucose and triglyceride concentrations. In contrast, selective in vivo activation of PPARdelta did not significantly affect these parameters. In vivo PPARalpha activation with WY-14653 resulted in reductions in elevated triglyceride levels with minimal effect on hyperglycemia. We conclude that: 1) synthetic non-thiazolidinediones can serve as ligands of PPARgamma and PPARdelta; 2) ligand-dependent activation of PPARdelta involves an apparent conformational change and association of the receptor ligand binding domain with CREB-binding protein; 3) PPARgamma activation (but not PPARdelta or PPARalpha activation) is sufficient to potentiate preadipocyte differentiation; 4) non-thiazolidinedione PPARgamma agonists improve hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia in vivo; 5) although PPARalpha activation is sufficient to affect triglyceride metabolism, PPARdelta activation does not appear to modulate glucose or triglyceride levels.