Selective reversible inhibition of liver carnitine palmitoyl-transferase 1 by teglicar reduces gluconeogenesis and improves glucose homeostasis.

OBJECTIVE: We have developed a new antihyperglycemic agent (teglicar) through the selective and reversible inhibition of the liver isoform of carnitine palmitoyl-transferase 1 (L-CPT1). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Glucose production was investigated in isolated hepatocytes and during pancreatic clamps in healthy rats. Chronic treatments on C57BL/6J, db/db, high-fat fed mice, and rats were performed to understand glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. RESULTS: In isolated hepatocytes, teglicar concentration dependently reduced ketone bodies and glucose production up to 72 and 50%, respectively. In rats, teglicar reduced the endogenous glucose production (-62%) without affecting peripheral glucose utilization. Heart 2-[(3)H]deoxyglucose uptake in mice was also not affected, confirming in vivo the drug selectivity toward L-CPT1. Chronic treatment in db/db mice (50 mg/kg/bid; 45 days) reduced postabsorptive glycemia (-38%), water consumption (-31%), and fructosamine (-30%). Such antidiabetic activity was associated with an improved insulin sensitivity assessed by the insulin tolerance test. A significant 50% increase in hepatic triglyceride content (HTGC) was found, although plasma alanineaminotransferase was not altered. In addition, long-term teglicar administration to high-fat fed C57BL/6J mice normalized glycemia (-19%) and insulinemia (-53%). Long-term teglicar administration (30 days, 80 mg/kg) in healthy overnight-fasted rats slightly reduced basal glycemia (-20%, ns), reduced basal insulin levels by 60%, doubled triglycerides, and increased free-fatty acids (+53%). HTGC was markedly increased, but liver and peripheral insulin sensitivity assessed by hyperinsulinemiceuglycemic clamp were not affected. CONCLUSIONS: Teglicar, in vitro and in animal models, reduces gluconeogenesis and improves glucose homeostasis, refreshing the interest in selective and reversible L-CPT1 inhibition as a potential antihyperglycemic approach.

Effects of the increase in neuronal fatty acids availability on food intake and satiety in mice.

RATIONALE: Neurons detect free fatty acids (FFAs) availability and use this nutritional status to modulate feeding and control body weight. OBJECTIVES: The work is designed to characterize the impact on feeding behavior of either oleic acid (OA) administration (experiment 1) or the inhibition (experiment 2) of the enzyme carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1). The structure of feeding behavior and satiation time course were examined through the behavioral satiety sequence (BSS) paradigm. METHODS: Adult male mice were initially habituated to a palatable diet, then subjected to intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of different doses of OA or the CPT-1 inhibitor ST1326. Food intake at different time points, duration, and frequencies of feeding and non-feeding-related behaviors were continuously monitored over 40 min and satiety development profiled according to BSS. RESULTS: Intra-i.c.v. infusion of oleic acid (300 nM) and ST1326 (50 and 75 pM) suppressed food intake. As indicated by the earlier leftward shifting of the normal transition from eating to resting, both strategies similarly accelerated the onset of satiety. The premature onset of satiety resulted in a dose-related fashion with 50 pM of ST1326 producing a marked premature onset than the lower dose. However, at the highest dose injected, the inhibition of CPT-1 disrupted the BSS profile. CONCLUSIONS: The increased neuronal availability of FFAs mediates a significant anorectic response which is mirrored by an early occurrence of satiety onset. Besides supporting the role of central nutrient sensing in feeding, the present data demonstrate that the modulation of satiety enhancement can produce appetite suppressant effects within narrow range of neuronal FFAs availability.

Novel substituted aminoalkylguanidines as potential antihyperglycemic and food intake-reducing agents.

We report the synthesis and evaluation of aminoalkylguanidine analogues and derivatives in C57BL/KsJ db/db diabetic mice, following identification by random screening of 1a and 1b as potential antihyperglycemics and/or modulators of food intake. These compounds are related to galegine, a gamma,gamma-dimethylallylguanidine. Between the newly identified compounds, 1h N-(cyclopropylmethyl)- N'-(4-(aminomethyl)cyclohexylmethyl)guanidine showed the most balanced activity as antihyperglycemic and food intake-reducing agent.

In vivo imaging reveals selective peroxisome proliferator activated receptor modulator activity of the synthetic ligand 3-(1-(4-chlorobenzyl)-3-t-butylthio-5-isopropylindol-2-yl)-2,2-dimethylpropanoic acid (MK-886).

We report here the finding of a new pharmacological activity of a well known antagonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). PPARs belong to the family of nuclear receptors playing a relevant role in mammalian physiology and are currently believed to represent a major target for the development of innovative drugs for metabolic and inflammatory diseases. In the present study, the application of reporter animal technology was instrumental to obtain the global pharmacological profiling indispensable to unraveling 3-(1-(4-chlorobenzyl)-3-t-butylthio-5-isopropylindol-2-yl)-2,2-dimethylpropanoic acid (MK-886)-selective PPAR modulator (SPPARM) activity not underlined by previous traditional, cell-based studies. The results of this study, demonstrating the usefulness of reporter mice, may open new avenues for the development of innovative drugs for cardiovascular, endocrine, neural, and skeletal systems characterized by limited side effects.

Carnitine depletion in rat pups from mothers given mildronate: a model of carnitine deficiency in late fetal and neonatal life.

Mildronate (3-(2,2,2,-trimethylhydrazinium)propionate), is a butyrobetaine analogue that is known to inhibit gamma-butyrobetaine hydroxylase, the enzyme catalyzing the last step of carnitine biosynthesis. When administered to adult rats it determines a systemic carnitine deficiency and may therefore serve as an animal model for human carnitine depletion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of mildronate administration to pregnant and lactating rats on tissue carnitine concentrations in 4- and 13-day-old rat pups. At 14 days of gestation female rats began to receive mildronate in the diet (200 mg/kg/d) and this continued for entire lactation period. Mildronate treatment determined a large reduction of carnitine levels in the milk of lactating dams. Because organ carnitine concentrations in neonatal rats are directly related to dietary supply, pups from mildronate group had significantly depleted levels of total carnitine in serum, heart, liver, muscle, brain and pancreas relative to controls, at 4 and 13 days of age. Correspondingly, an increase in triglyceride levels was observed in liver, heart and muscle of mildronate pups. This is in agreement with a reduction of basal rate of oxidation of [U-(14)C]-palmitate to (14)CO(2) and (14)C-acid-soluble products observed in liver homogenates from carnitine-deficient pups. All functional and biochemical modifications were compatible with a carnitine deficiency status. In conclusion our results describe a model of carnitine depletion in pups, suitable for the investigation of carnitine deficiency in fetal-neonatal nutrition, without any concomitant mildronate-mediated metabolic alterations.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of new clofibrate analogues as potential PPARalpha agonists.

Clofibrate is a lipid-profile modifying agent belonging to the fibrate class of drugs. Fibrates are known to exhibit their beneficial effects by activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARalpha) and used in the treatment of dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis and for the prevention of heart failure. Hereby, the preparation of two new sets of clofibrate analogues, ethyl 2-(4-chlorophenoxy)-3-oxoalkanoates and ethyl 2-(4-chlorophenoxy)-3-hydroxyalkanoates is described starting from commercially available 3-oxoalkanoates in fair to good yields. Treatment of 3-oxoalkanoates with SO2Cl2 yielded the corresponding 2-chloro-3-oxoalkanoates, that were then converted into 2-(4-chlorophenoxy)-3-oxoalkanoates by reacting with sodium or caesium 4-chlorophenate. Reduction of the keto group with NaBH4 afforded the corresponding 2-(4-chlorophenoxy)-3-hydroxyalkanoates in very high yields and with variable diastereoselectivity. Biological evaluation of the compounds was performed by a transactivation assay in a transiently transfected monkey kidney fibroblast cell line. The newly synthesised clofibrate analogues failed to show noticeable levels of PPAR activation at concentrations where clofibrate showed an evident activity, suggesting that the structural modifications caused the loss of PPAR activity.

Isolation and pharmacological activities of the Tecoma stans alkaloids.

Tecoma stans is a plant traditionally used in Mexico for the control of diabetes. Amongst the alkaloids isolated from the plant harvested in Egypt, Tecomine was shown to be one of the compounds responsible for the hypoglycemic action. Given the interest in substances able to treat type II diabetes, we isolated the main alkaloids present in the plant growing in Egypt and Brazil and tested them in vivo on db/db mice. Contrary to previous literature reports on different animal models, Tecomine was unable to modify glycemia; the only effect seen being a decrease in plasma cholesterol levels. On the contrary, when tested in vitro on glucose uptake in white adipocytes, the compound showed a marked effect. The two other alkaloids isolated, namely 5beta-Hydroxyskitanthine, early called Base C, and Boschniakine were inactive both in vivo and in vitro assays.

Discovery of a long-chain carbamoyl aminocarnitine derivative, a reversible carnitine palmitoyltransferase inhibitor with antiketotic and antidiabetic activity.

The synthesis and pharmacological activity of reversible CPT I inhibitors as potential antiketotic and antidiabetic drugs are reported. Such inhibitors constitute a series of enantiomerically pure aminocarnitine derivatives having the general formula (CH3)3N+CH2CH(ZR)CH2COO- (with Z = ureido, carbamate, sulfonamide, and sulfamide moieties; R = C7-C14 linear alkyl chains). A primary pharmacological screening based on the evaluation of CPT I activity in intact rat liver (L-CPT I) mitochondria revealed the best activity for the (R) forms of ureidic derivative 17 (ZR = NHCONHR, R = C14), sulfonamidic derivative 7 (ZR = NHSO2R, R = C12), and sulfamidic derivative 9 (ZR = NHSO2NHR, R = C11). The IC50 values are 1.1, 0.7, and 0.8 microM, respectively. For the carbamic derivative 11 (ZR = NHCOOR, R = C8), an IC50 of 9.5 microM was observed. In addition, an extraordinarily high selectivity toward the liver isoform with respect to the heart isoform (muscle-CPT I identical with M-CPT I) was found for the ureidic compound 17 (IC50(M-CPT I) vs IC50(L-CPTI) = 39.4), as well as for other ureidic or carbamic compounds. Diabetic db/db mice treated orally with 17 and 7 for 45 days at a dose of 50 mg/kg twice a day showed a good reduction of serum glucose levels with respect to the untreated db/db mice (p < 0.01). In addition, 17 showed antiketotic activity in normal fasted rats. 17 has been selected for development as a potential antiketotic and antidiabetic drug.

The first gas chromatographic resolution of carnitine enantiomers.

The enantiomers of carnitine are converted on-line in the injection port of a gas chromatograph into beta-hydroxy-gamma-butyrolactones and are separated on a derivatized beta-cyclodextrin chiral stationary phase.