Vasodilation Elicited by Isoxsuprine, Identified by High-Throughput Virtual Screening of Compound Libraries, Involves Activation of the NO/cGMP and H2S/KATP Pathways and Blockade of α1-Adrenoceptors and Calcium Channels.

Recently, our research group demonstrated that uvaol and ursolic acid increase NO and H2S production in aortic tissue. Molecular docking studies showed that both compounds bind with high affinity to endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE). The aim of this study was to identify hits with high binding affinity for the triterpene binding-allosteric sites of eNOS and CSE and to evaluate their vasodilator effect. Additionally, the mechanism of action of the most potent compound was explored. A high-throughput virtual screening (HTVS) of 107,373 compounds, obtained from four ZINC database libraries, was performed employing the crystallographic structures of eNOS and CSE. Among the nine top-scoring ligands, isoxsuprine showed the most potent vasodilator effect. Pharmacological evaluation, employing the rat aorta model, indicated that the vasodilation produced by this compound involved activation of the NO/cGMP and H2S/KATP signaling pathways and blockade of α1-adrenoceptors and L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. Incubation of aorta homogenates in the presence of isoxsuprine caused 2-fold greater levels of H2S, which supported our preliminary in silico data. This study provides evidence to propose that the vasodilator effect of isoxsuprine involves various mechanisms, which highlights its potential to treat a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases.

α1-and ß-adrenergic antagonist labetalol induces morphological changes in human erythrocytes.

Labetalol is one of the most used drugs for the treatment of hypertension. This molecule is able to bind to both alpha-1 (α1) and beta (ß) adrenergic receptors present in vascular smooth muscle among other tissues. It has been determined that human erythrocytes possess both alpha receptors and beta-adrenergic receptors expressed on their surface. The objective of this work was to study the effect of labetalol on the morphology of human erythrocytes. To accomplish this goal, human erythrocytes and model membranes built of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE) were used. These lipid species are present in the outer and inner monolayers of the red blood cell membrane, respectively. Our findings obtained by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicate that labetalol interacted with both lipids in a process dependent on concentration. In fact, at low concentrations labetalol preferentially interacted with DMPE. On the other hand, results obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that labetalol alters the normal biconcave form of erythrocytes to stomatocytes and knizocytes (cells with one or more cavities, respectively). According to the bilayers couple hypothesis, this result implied that the drug inserted in the inner monolayer of the human erythrocyte membrane.

Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of novel arylpiperazines as potent antagonists of α1-adrenoceptor.

Arylpiperazines 2-11 were synthesized, and their biological profiles at α1-adrenergic receptors (α1-ARs) assessed by binding assays in CHO cells expressing human cloned subtypes and by functional experiments in isolated rat vas deferens (α1A), spleen (α1B), and aorta (α1D). Modifications at the 1,3-benzodioxole and phenyl phamacophoric units resulted in the identification of a number of potent compounds (moderately selective with respect to the α1b-AR), in binding experiments. Notably, compound 7 (LDT451) showed a subnanomolar pKi of 9.41 towards α1a-AR. An encouragingly lower α1B-potency was a general trend for all the series of compounds, which showed α1A/D over α1B selectivity in functional assays. If adequately optimized, such peculiar selectivity could have relevance for a potential LUTS/BPH therapeutic application.